Sword and Shield: Volume 1: Picking up the Pieces
by Stellar Magic
Summary: Amalgam is destroyed, Mithril is disbanded, and Leonard Tesstarossa is dead. This doesn't mean the end of the relentless pursuit of black technology. Rated M for violence, language, and sexual themes. Slight AU, post series. REWRITTEN!
1. Forward: Before We Panic!

_**Forward – Before We Panic!**_

_After rereading a translated version of Always, Stand by Me, I decided to rewrite Sword and Shield so that it dovetails directly with the novel. The result has significant changes to the story, which those of you who read the version prior to this will certainly notice. As I began rewriting what I had written I've decided to plan much further ahead._

_I should mention that it is not my intention to insult, harm, or otherwise tear down any of the real people that make an appearance in my work they are simply there because they would be the people directly involved, not because I have any desire to bash Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, or any number of the other people that make appearances in the story. Tragedies that happened at slightly different times are included, such as referencing a possible suicide and making it an actual suicide in the story due to the actions of the West against Mithril, my condolences go out to the family of Thomas L. Tinsley and the 3__rd__ Wing stationed at Elmendorf Alaska. The appearance of his name and its circumstances during my research on your unit inspired my inclusion to give dramatic effect to the events in the story, no offense is intended._

_This is the order of events leading up to Sword and Shield, it may not be totally accurate to the official timeline, but we're doing mild AU for safety's sake anyway._

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><p><em>1981 – The Yamsk 11 Omni-sphere malfunctions, leading to the creation of the Whispered. Kaname Chidori, Teletha and Leonard Testarossa are born within three minutes of the accident. <em>

_1983 – Andrei Kalinin recovers a child from a JAL wreck while on a mission as a Spetz Naz operative identified only by the name on the shirt, Sousuke Sagara. Sousuke is placed in an orphanage in the Soviet Union._

_Mid 1980s – Chinese Civil War, China is partitioned into a communist north and a democratic south along the Yangtze River. Kowloon and Hong Kong are divided much like Berlin._

_1989 – Soviet Union begins its first withdraw from Afghanistan, Premier Mikhail Gorbachev is assassinated and perestroika is halted. The Rk-89 "Shamrock" enters service with the Soviet Union becoming the world's first operational combat Arm Slave. Sousuke Sagara is inducted into a KGB program to produce child assassins._

_1991 – Operation Desert Storm ends with the use of a nuclear weapon against Iraqi forces in retaliation for a chemical weapon strikes. This triggers the Fifth Middle-East War with Iran, Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon launching a retaliatory attack on Israel, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and other regional United States allies. The RK-91 "Savage-A" enters service in the Soviet Army and soon is exported to other nations. Al Qaeda ("The Base") forms in response to Saudi Arabia siding with the United States and allowing its soil to be used as bases for the United States. Al Qaeda functions as a "Fifth Column" for the enemies of the United States within Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and the UAE._

_1992 – The Soviet Union reinvades Afghanistan to prop up the failing regime of Mohammad Najibullah. The Lion of Panjshir a.k.a. Badkistan's Tiger a.k.a. General Majhid a.k.a. Ahmad Shah Massoud is targeted by multiple assassination attempts. Sousuke Sagara is deployed to Afghanistan on one such mission. The RK-92 "Savage-B" enters service in the Soviet Army and soon is exported to other nations, in response the United States deploys the M6 Bushnell and begins exporting the weapon to its allies. Arm Slaves engage each other for the first time in Fifth Middle-East War. Mithril is formed. Pakistan backs the militia of Mullah Omar in the ongoing war in Afghanistan to little effect._

_1993 – Sousuke Sagara joins the Mujahedeen as the adopted son of General Majhid and takes the name Kashim. Gauron arrives in Afghanistan as a mercenary advisor. Kalinin defects to the Afghan side of the war after his wife dies._

_1994 – The War in Afghanistan grinds to a stalemate with Soviet Forces unable to dislodge the remains of the Mujahedeen from Badkistan and Panjshir. The Afghan resistance unifies under the "Northern Alliance" led by General Majhid. The Fifth Middle East War ends. Eastern European uprisings against Communist rule begin._

_1995 – Sousuke travels to Cambodia with Kalinin working as mercenary. They lose contact soon after. Grey begins her mercenary career in an uprising in Eastern Europe against communism._

_1996 – Sousuke and Kurz Weber engage each other in Lebanon, neither is aware it was the other. The Soviet Union deploys its army to suppress ongoing revolts in Poland, Germany, Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia. Yugoslavia fragments into civil war between Slavic and non-Slavic ethnicities. The Soviet Union backs the Slavic ethnicities with military forces, and the United States provides covert aid to their enemies when possible._

_1997 – Tuatha de Danaan is launched. Sousuke and Kurz Weber join Mithril and are assigned to work under Melissa Mao as part of the Western Pacific Fleet's Special Response Team. Mithril procures the RAH-66 Comanche attack helicopter and M9 Gernsback along with experimental M9E and M9D variants. The ARX-7 Arbalest is constructed by Bani Morauta for Mithril based upon an M9 chassis. Bani Morauta commits suicide. The M9 Gernsback begins field tests in the United States._

_1998 – Events of Animes: Full Metal Panic, Full Metal Panic: Fumoffu?, and Full Metal Panic: The Second Raid take place. Events of the Light Novels: Fighting Boy Meets Girl, One Night Stand, Into the Blue, Ending Day by Day, and Dancing Very Merry Christmas take place. The Zy-98 "Shadow" begins operational field tests in the Soviet Union._

_1999 – Events of the Light Novels: Continuing On My Own, Burning One Man Force, Come Make My Day, Approaching Nick of Time take place._

_2000 – Events of the Light Novel: Always, Stand by Me take place. Sword and Shield begins._

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><p><em>The stories in Sword and Shield will be written into volumes… each one being somewhat self-contained. Thus far I've planned a number of volumes, how many of them I'll get through before burning out is up in the air…<em>

_**Sword and Shield - Volume 1: Picking up the Pieces**_

_The remains of Mithril attempt to rally before the United States moves to eliminate them organization and secure the whispered they protect. With further rebuilding clearly impossible Jerome Borda launches Sword and Shield to continue protecting the whispered as the United States sends a team to secure Kaname Chidori._

_Sousuke: "It seems while we were gone I lost the lease on my apartment…"_

_Kaname: "Okay…" *snickers* "You can stay with me for a while then?"_

_Sousuke: "I have a sleeping bag. I will not inconvenience you…"_

_Kaname: "You are not sleeping out here…" *drags Sousuke to her bedroom*_

_**Sword and Shield – Volume 2: A Family Visit**_

_Sousuke Sagara and Kaname Chidori travel to Afghanistan on the invitation of Ahmad Shah Massoud. Sousuke comes face to face with his past and the lone survivor of Amalgam while the Soviet Union launches an attack with the sole aim of destroying the Northern Alliance and killing its leader, Ahmad Shah Massoud._

_Kaname: "Ehh? We're going to Afghanistan?"_

_Sousuke: "I've already procured the necessary clothing for you…"_

_Kaname: "I am not wearing a burqa!"_

_Sousuke: "I did not procure a burqa, just a hijab and suitable body armor…"_

_Kaname: "Body armor!"_

_**Sword and Shield – Volume 3: The Hawk and the Sparrow**_

_School begins for the pair and they confront the challenges of their final year of High School while a graduate from the KGB Sparrow School and a Hawk are slipped into the school to separate the two and isolate them for capture or assassination. How many lockers will suffer from Sagara's wraith this year?_

_Kaname: "Sousuke? What's this 'Sparrow School'?"_

_Sousuke: "Uhhh…"_

_Kaname: "Sousuke? What is it?"_

_Sousuke: "I am not comfortable discussing this with you, perhaps you should ask Shinji."_

_**Sword and Shield - Volume 4: Toys for a Tin-pot Dictator**_

_A South Korean whispered candidate is kidnapped in the middle of the night and whisked away over the border. Sword and Shield send Kurz, Wraith, and Mao to investigate while testing begins on their newest tool, the RXI-1 (Robotic eXperimental Infantry – model one). All the while the North Koreans begin looking to capture the next whispered within easy reach… Kaname Chidori._

_Kaname: "So why are we going to the research facility?"_

_Sousuke: "Sarah asked me to assist with Al."_

_Kaname: "How can you help an AS designer with an AI… you're just a soldier."_

_Sousuke: "Perhaps that's why she wants my help."_

_**Sword and Shield – Volume 5: Summer Break?**_

_With exams looming, Sagara and Chidori find their free time dwindling, but Sousuke makes an effort to find a way to make one more lasting summer memory for the two of them._

_Kaname: "Wait… no guns, no bombs, and no missions?"_

_Sousuke: "Affirmative, I have asked for Kurz's aid in planning this to ensure you have a good time."_

_Kaname: "So… where are we going?"_

_Sousuke: "I'm afraid that is classified."_

_Kaname: "Sousuke!"_

_**Sword and Shield – Volume 6: Red Mercury Rises**_

_After months of waiting and watching, the KGB makes its move, unleashing the Typhoon-class Submarine Aircraft Carrier Red Mercury on a mission to secure Whispered candidates world-wide. It's first target… Sword and Shield._

_Kaname: "A submarine aircraft carrier? Why does this sound familiar?"_

_Sousuke: "Tessa will not be pleased at this cheap imitation of the TDD-1."_

_Kaname: "But its Typhoon class, maybe it'll have a white haired old captain like from Hunt for Red October!"_

_Sousuke: "I doubt we will be fortunate enough to get him to defect."_

_**Sword and Shield – Volume 7: The Sword and Shield Society**_

_With growing connections between the former members of Class 3-4 and Sword and Shield, Sarah proposes the creation of a blanket organization for friends of those in Sword and Shield allowing members to share their experiences… if they can get their friends to sign a NDA. All the while an investigative journalist comes closer and closer to unearthing the secrets of Black Technology and displaying them to the world._

_Kaname: "Kyoko? Shinji? What are you doing here?"_

_Shinji: "Signing up, what else?"_

_Kyoko: "Me too!"_

_Sousuke: "Do you really want to know this?"_

_**Sword and Shield – Volume 8: A Party of Whispers**_

_Christmas is fast approaching and Sword and Shield prepares for the mother of all birthday bashes as Tessa arranges for the whispered to spend Christmas at a ski resort in Hokkaido. What can possibly go wrong?_

_Sousuke: *gasps*_

_Kaname: "Sousuke, is something wrong?"_

_Sousuke: *gasps* "No Kaname, just the stress of preparing for this trip…" *gasps* "It's killing me."_

_Kaname: "You're supposed to relax, stupid!"_

_Sousuke: "But Kaname, do you realize how valuable a target we'll be…" *gasps* "So many whispered in one spot!"_

_**Sword and Shield – Volume 9: Finals from Hell**_

_Final exams are upon the pair as their High School carrier winds down. Unfortunately their presence will result in one final 'incident' for the High School year book._

_Sousuke: "I don't understand… why anyone would choose to tell stories with similes and metaphors like this! Why can't they just say it plainly?"_

_Kaname: "Calm down Sousuke, let me try and explain it one more time…"_

_Sousuke: "Thank you… I'd be totally lost at this without you."_

_Kaname: *blushes* "It's not a problem."_

_**Sword and Shield – Volume 10: Graduation… then what?**_

_After the hell of final exams, graduation is upon them… now they just need to figure out what to do with their lives and what they need to score on their College entrance exams!_

_Sousuke: "Kaname… have you figured out anything?"_

_Kaname: "Nope… not really, I want to go to college."_

_Sousuke: "I best begin studying again then… I will need it to score high enough for any school you'd want to go to."_

_Kaname: "I'll help you…"_

_**Sword and Shield – Volume 11: Tokyo U**_

_Tokyo University's research department's partnership with Sword and Shield nets them the pair from Jindai High School. Unfortunately the school had no idea what they were in for when they signed the contract._

_Sousuke: "Let's see, a new school… I'll need to make the area secure for Kaname."_

_Kaname: "Sousuke?"_

_Sousuke: "Shaped charge explosives… check, P90 personal defense weapon… check."_

_Kaname: "I'll try to keep him in check, but no promises." _

_**Sword and Shield – Volume 12: Wait, a Marriage?**_

_Sousuke is given a dangerous assignment by an old friend while Kaname is given one of her own by Kyoko. Their task, serve as best man and bridesmaid at the marriage of their two best friends. Can they succeed without causing a disaster?_

_Sousuke: "I was unaware that they were even dating…"_

_Kaname: "You didn't know?"_

_Sousuke: "Affirmative, I am equally unfamiliar with the tradition of best man… my research indicates that the position is akin to that of a bodyguard for the groom, in case of any challenger."_

_Kaname: "Uh… that's not what it means anymore."_

_Sousuke: "So a concealed weapon would be more proper than a full arsenal?"_

_**Sword and Shield – Volume 13: Human Trafficking**_

_Sword and Shield investigates a human trafficking ring in china… and find a secret business specializing in the abduction and transport of whispered individuals into government hands._

_Sousuke: "I am not surprised."_

_Kaname: "About what part… thugs abducting whispered or the price tag for one of us?"_

_Sousuke: "No, I am not surprised it was China. Nations often fall into criminality after a civil war."_

_Kaname: "So I'm worth several million dollars and you don't even arch an eyebrow?"_

_**Sword and Shield – Volume 14: A Death in the Family**_

_September 8__th__ 2001, Ahmad Shah Massoud is assassinated. Three days later Al Qaeda terrorists crash two jet liners into the World Trade Center and a third into the Pentagon. Sousuke launches a personal campaign to hunt down those responsible._

_Sousuke: "I'm sorry Kaname, but I have to do this… you know how important he was to me."_

_Kaname: "I know, just come back alive understand!"_

_Sousuke: "I cannot promise…"_

_Kaname: "You will come back or I'm dragging you out of hell myself, got that soldier!"_

_**Sword and Shield – Volume 15: Enemy of the Faithful**_

_Sousuke Sagara is captured by the enemy, as Mao and Weber deploy to bring him back an assassin is sent to end the life of Kaname Chidori._

_Melissa: "Wait, we get a central part in a story! Awesome, hey Weber!"_

_Kurz: "I heard, God this calls for drinks!"_

_Kaname: "Stop screwing around and go get him!"_

_**Sword and Shield – Volume 16: Everyone is now Sagara Sousuke**_

_Sousuke and Kaname head to New York for their second Christmas as a couple. There he pays his respects to the fallen at the World Trade Center while Kaname is stunned by how things have changed in the city she had once called home. All the while she tries to get her father to see the good side of her boyfriend._

_Kaname: "I can't believe this… what next? Remove our shoes for airline screening?"_

_Sousuke: "I do not see the problem."_

_Kaname: "And the bomb squad just blew up my spare suitcase since it was sitting unattended."_

_Sousuke: "I told you that security has been greatly improved."_

_Kaname: "Damn it, everyone is acting like you!"_

_**Sword and Shield – Volume 17: A Nevada New Year**_

_Before returning to Japan, Sousuke is given orders to assist the escape of a whispered from the infamous facility in Nevada: Area Fifty-One. Unfortunately it requires sneaking onto one of the most heavily guarded pieces of land on the globe._

_Sousuke: "Kaname… I'm afraid we'll have to make a stop in Las Vegas before our return to Tokyo."_

_Kaname: "Why?"_

_Sousuke: "I've been ordered to break into Area Fifty-One and evacuate a young man."_

_Kaname: "Can we leave a country without being chased just once?"_

_**Sword and Shield – Volume 18: From Russia with Love**_

_Word reaches Sword and Shield that two of the leading whispered in the Soviet Union wish to defect to Sword and Shield. Kurz, Sousuke, and Melissa are sent to pick them up and find themselves involved in a monstrous sting operation._

_Kaname: "Eh? What about me?"_

_Tessa: "Oh, we can hang out while they're busy… have some girl time."_

_Kaname: "Well, that doesn't sound too bad."_

_Tessa: "So, how was Vegas?"_

_**Sword and Shield – Volume 19: Brain Trust Inc.**_

_It seems governments aren't alone in scooping up whispered individuals. When Kaname is approached by representatives of a number of military technology companies Sword and Shield finds a new enemy… the military industrial complex itself._

_Sousuke: "I am now dumping my stock in those companies, such behavior is inexcusable."_

_Kaname: "What! You had stock in Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Technologies?"_

_Sousuke: "Affirmative."_

_Kaname: "Just how much money do you have Sousuke?"_

_Sousuke: "The exact value of my investments fluctuates daily."_

_**Sword and Shield – Volume 20: Will you?**_

_Sousuke embarks on his single most difficult mission as the second year anniversary of their reunion at Jindai High School approaches._

_Sousuke: "Kaname… I've wanted to ask you something."_

_Kaname: "What is it Sousuke?"_

_Sousuke: "Uhh… Will you… will you…"_

_Kaname: "Will I what?"_


	2. Prologue

_Author's Note: Sword and Shield is meant to take place after the events in the light novels. I'm planning on taking the story along a much more realistic bend then the light novels, and including more thriller elements. There are some AU elements due to the mixing of both the Anime and Light Novels in this portrayal._

_Most of the characters act more mature then in the series or light novels. This is intentional. They're older; more experienced and have a better handle on themselves. In addition, Sousuke and Kaname have been through a traumatic ordeal over the last year and haven't yet gotten a chance to heal. While I don't doubt that Kaname is strong willed, being abducted and possessed would be a trying experience._

_Update Notes: Changed the date from 1984 to 1981 to match the light novels._

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><p><strong>Sword and Shield<strong>

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

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><p><strong>Whispered<strong> 1. _n._ one who hears 'whispers'.

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><p>On December 24th, 1981 there was an accident. At a secret city in the Soviet Union known as Yamsk Eleven a device designed to peer into the future was activated. At 11:50 Greenwich Mean Time it overloaded, releasing a wave of Tau particles worldwide for the next three minutes.<p>

All children born between 11:50 and 11:52 GMT were subtly affected. Their subconscious minds could draw knowledge from the future, a whispering of a thousand different voices. They became the whispered.

They brought technologies into the world before their time. The arm slave, the palladium reactor, electronic camouflage systems, and others. Their existence changed the course of history.

Some wished to manipulate them to their ends. The organization Amalgam in its quest for power worked to restart the experiment, led by a whisperer, a child encased in the remains of Yamsk Eleven. She was called Sofia. They wanted the world.

The world fought back. Led by Mithril and the United States, Amalgam was defeated. Sofia was defeated, but little changed.

Still they are sought.

They are fought over.

They are guarded.

They are protected.

And they are loved.

It was hoped when Sofia was gone the whispers would stop. They didn't. They are the future and the future is now.


	3. Chapter 1: Homecoming

_Author's Note: I've gone back to the beginning and rewritten much of the story to dovetail to the end of the last novel: __Always, Stand By Me__. The first chapter's first scene is not my work but that of Shoji Gatoh translated online, as such no credit at all should go to me for that scene. This segment is completely italicized. Much is brand new material that occurs before the events of the previous version of the story._

_Also the dates and times are accurate and in chronological order… the international date line makes it somewhat confusing, sorry._

**Sword and Shield**

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><p><strong>Volume 1:<strong> Picking up the Pieces

**Chapter 1:** Homecoming

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><p><strong>Home<strong> 1. _n. _One's own dwelling place; the house or structure in which one lives; especially the house in which one lives with his family; the habitual abode of one's family; also, one's birthplace. 2. _n._ One's native land; the place or country in which one dwells; the place where one's ancestors dwell or dwelt. 3._ n. _The place where a person was raised; Childhood or parental home; home of one's parents or guardian. 4. _n. _The abiding place of the affections, especially of the domestic affections.

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><p><strong>24 March 2000, 12:05 hrs.<strong>

**Jindai High School, Tokyo, Japan**

**Outside the Main Courtyard**

"_Oh…"_

_Kaname, in her green and white uniform, stood in front of the empty gate of the school, and looked at a large sign above it. The sign read: "Heisei 10, Tokyo Metropolitan Jindai High School Graduation Ceremony." She knew, of course, that it was about the time for these events, but she couldn't have imagined that it is today. She thought that she should be happy that she made it in time, but what should she do now? The familiar tune of "Aogeba totoshi" was coming from the gym. So they chose this for the graduation? It certainly set a grave, solemn mood of turning over a page of the students' youth. And at this moment she would show up - someone who had been kidnapped from here after a fight of military robots, involved in the conspiracy of a terrorist organization, started and stopped the changing of the world... it somehow seemed exceptionally inappropriate._

_The students started flowing out of the gym and heading towards the school building. Some girls were happily hugging each other, and most boys, tired from the ceremony, were stretching and yawning. A lot of familiar faces in that happy crowd._

"_Hey... isn't that Chidori?" someone shouted._

_Oh, she was noticed._

"_Chidori-san? There, there she is!"_

"_What, are you serious?"_

"_Chidori? Really?"_

"_Wait, who?"_

"_Chidori-san! There!"_

"_Woaah, waaah!"_

_The uproar grew and grew, and Kaname didn't know what to do, she was rooted to the spot. The feeling was as though the crowd might be about to throw stones at her, but didn't._

"_Kana-chaaaan!"_

_The students were in chaos, and inside that crowd, she saw Kyoko Tokiwa, frantically trying to get through to her._

"_Kyoko?"_

"_Kana-chan!"_

_Tokiwa was running towards her as fast as she could. She was smiling. Without a trace of doubt, or hesitation, she was smiling, and running to embrace Kaname. She didn't understand - a year had passed, and all of those things happened._

_Why are you running towards this weak crying me? Stop, Kyoko, or I—_

_After that, emotions flooded her, like a torrent exploding from within her heart, and as she hugged Kyoko, she began crying. She fell to her knees there and continued weeping, even when all of her classmates from 3-4 came and surrounded them._

_The teachers also came running and, while they were as shocked as her fellow students, they still managed to quell the turmoil and lead the crowd into the neighboring courtyard. All of them – her teacher, Kagurazaka, Shiori, Shinji Kazama, Kotarou Onodera, and all of her friends and classmates gathered, some of them smiling, others trying to hold back tears. She was glad no one really changed. _

_She was also glad she had chosen to continue in this world. Right, Sofia?_

_Kaname didn't remember much of what she did and said to her friends in the next few minutes, until someone finally said:_

"_Where's Sagara-kun?"_

_The crowd went quiet._

"_Sousuke..."_

_She didn't know how to explain it. He was the one who had promised to bring her back, and that he did - fighting, by himself. _

_How can I..._

"_Hey, but - isn't that Sagara?" Someone said._

_The students started turning one by one towards the gate. A Honda Super Cub was lying there, and the man who just got off the bike was walking towards them._

_It really was Sousuke._

_The crowd was in upheaval once again, some people genuinely happy, others simply astonished. Kaname, however, felt as if she was almost expecting this._

_Ah, so it was a lie. The guy I love has one redeeming trait, and that's his stubbornness._

"_Well, how's that? I held my promise! I brought her back!" He shouted._

_He was breathing heavily, covered with sweat - she didn't know what he did to get here on time. But he, too, had taken the trouble to change into the uniform of a Jindai High student. It was just like him, sticking to principles._

"_Sagara?..."_

"_Sagara-kun!"_

"_Hey, it's Sagara!"_

_His classmates surrounded him as he came closer._

"_Sorry I'm late. I was held at the Okinawa base until this morning."_

"_You're not listening..."_

"_No, I did check that the graduation ceremony was today."_

"_I said, you're not listening!"_

_Exchanging words with Shinji, Koutarou and the others, Sousuke pushed through the crowd and finally appeared in front of Kaname._

"_I thought you would be here, Chidori."_

"_Sousuke..."_

_His manner was casual, almost cocky. After staring death in the eye, after all that happened, he came here, and was smiling in that way... why?_

"_Lots of things happened. There's a lot I want to tell you... not now. I heard from Wraith that you didn't accept an escort."_

"_But..."_

_She didn't hear the "whispers" anymore. Many organizations might exist in the world, but now she was worthless to them._

"_That is naive. You need someone to guard you," he held out his right hand._

_She took it hesitantly, and allowed herself to be led. He stepped forward, then said: "I will be your guard. Always."_

"_Wh... you..." She felt her cheeks flush, and her heart start beating faster than ever. __How should I answer him?_

"_Do you remember our promise, from Mexico?"_

"_Huh?"_

_The promise they made over the radio... that they would kiss, when they met again, no matter what place they were in. Those were Kaname's words._

"_As you can see, this is our reunion."_

"_Eh... b-but, but..."_

"_You don't like me?"_

"_I didn't mean that, but look around!"_

_A crowd of three dozen people was surrounding them in the school courtyard, and from the windows of both buildings even more students looked at them. All of them were watching... so many people..._

"_A-ah... it's not like I'm against it, but... here? I mean... everyone is watching... this is a bit...right?"_

_And then Sousuke answered, as usual: "No problem."_

_He gently embraced her, and their lips met. Resistance was futile. She didn't know how long it lasted - her head spun, and she was only vaguely aware of what was around her._

_The remainders of her common sense kept telling her that several hundred people were staring, then they too threw up the white flag, before the overwhelming realization that this was what she wished for. She just closed her eyes and surrendered to him. She realized she loved him now more than ever._

_"Don't care anymore!"_

_Before the astonished audience, she put her arms around his head, and following her heart, clumsily, but passionately, continued kissing him. The two were completely absorbed in each other among the jeers of a crowd of students._

_It was embarrassing. Extremely embarrassing. Her face burned with shame - but she didn't care._

_Look if you want to. I've wished for this for a long, long time. He, too. That's all, got any complaints?_

_Their lips finally separated, but they still embraced each other, her face close to his._

"_...don't let me go, please..."_

"_I won't."_

"_Always... always stand by me..."_

"_Of course," Sousuke, his face sullen as usual, nodded seriously. "I won't need weapons while you are beside me."_

A single pair of hands began clapping amongst the audience. After a second it was joined by others until the entire class had joined the applause. Issei Tsubaki shook his head and clapped along with the rest. Kazama lifted his professional camera to capture the moment as Kyoko's digital camera flashed. Ono-D and Shiori smiled as they clapped their hands at the two of them. Mizuki and Maya whispered to each other before grinning at Kaname.

Kaname felt the burning in her cheeks deepen as she looked around at them, her friends and classmates showing their support. _I'm back, I'm home._ She looked up into Sousuke's face and grinned. _Yes, we're home._

"We made it! We're home!"

The words tumbled from her mouth suddenly and she pulled Sousuke's head down and met his lips once again. Sousuke smiled, one of his rare genuine smiles and locked his gaze with hers.

"Yes, we are."

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><p><strong>24 March 2000, 12:41 hrs.<strong>

**Yokatsu, Uruma, Okinawa**

**Yokatsu Dockside Warehouse**

The truck rumbled to a stop inside one of the warehouses. As the engine quit Kurz Weber clambered out of the back, his hands gripping tightly to a rifle.

"God, sis, is there any part of this damn island that the United States doesn't own?"

Melissa Mao shook her head as she clambered out of the truck and pulled out a satellite radio and began to set it up. As she worked Al's voice echoed from the back of the truck.

"The United States Military Bases take up approximately eighteen percent of Okinawa's land area. We are fortunate in evading the military police thus far. Perhaps if Sagara could afford it, I would enjoy being loaded into a Mitsubishi Lancer or Evo."

"I have no idea what Sagara can afford after running around chasing Kaname for the last year." Weber walked over to Melissa and sat down opposite the radio and grinned at her. "That man is in deep, really deep. I tell you."

"And you're not?"

Weber stood stunned for a moment. "Maybe I am… Anyway, about the car debate… I can't see Sagara spending the money on a nice car like that. Can you Mao?"

Melissa Mao shrugged as she set up the satellite link. "Maybe, a rally car like that has good performance and practical use with four doors and decent trunk space, Sousuke isn't against spending money, you know how many Glock pistols he's had confiscated at school?"

"Good point, each one of those is what? An eight hundred dollar pistol, plus black market cost for getting it to him in Japan." Weber shook his head. "The teacher has got a veritable arsenal in her room by now."

Mao finished with the dish and picked up the phone. "Now, be quiet I have a call to make."

* * *

><p><strong>23 March 2000, 23:46 hrs.<strong>

**Portsmouth, State of Virginia, United States**

**Home of Admiral Jerome Borda**

Tessa fiddled nervously with her hands as she sat beside the satellite phone. Across the desk Jerome Borda ran a hand through his hair and adjusted his eye-patch, one of his wounds from Amalgam's assault on Mithril Headquarters. Through a holo-projection General Amit sat between the two facing them with his usual stoic expression clearly in place.

A growl slipped through his lips before he spoke. "You authorized this little… operation? As valuable as Sagara is he is not worth the antagonism of the United States."

Tessa and Jerome glanced at each other. The absurdity of the situation readily apparent, an Israeli former member of Mossad was lecturing a former American Admiral and herself about antagonizing the United States.

"So you would leave him to be continually debriefed by the United States? I doubt they'd so readily release him, especially given his checkered past. Not only would he be a source of information on our organization, the whispered, and Amalgam, but he also has detailed knowledge of the inner working of the KGB, the Afghan resistance under Majhid, and with resistance and terrorist movements world-wide. His resume is enormous General, and any one of those would make him a resource to be squirreled away into some dark hole to be milked." Jerome Borda shook his head. "I take it _your_ pawn informed you of volunteering to assist in the operation?"

General Amit blanched and leaned back. "Admiral!"

"Come now, Wraith is on the assault team to get him out. Surely you know that!" Tessa stated. Her eyes narrowing as she spoke, and she shot a nasty glare toward the general.

The Israeli general glanced between the two of them, a stunned look on his face. Tessa found a smirk slipping across her face. "She didn't?"

"Agent Wraith has not made contact with me since the Merida island… incident."

_Incident._ The single word sent a scowl onto her face. _To call a barrage of nuclear warheads across the island an incident! We had to be guests of the American navy since our transports ran out of fuel over the pacific from our rushed escape. How Sagara survived is nothing short of miraculous._

"Maybe we should have her transferred over to operations, since it seems clear she trusts us more than she trusts you." Admiral Borda stated. "She provided the intelligence for the operation, thanks to the Soviet GRU."

"That was probably a slap in the face to the KGB more than an olive branch for us." General Amit stated. "When is this little operation set to begin?"

"It's already started, we're just awaiting— "

The phone on the office desk rang and Admiral Borda leaned over it to tap the speaker button. "Admiral Borda here, General Amit, and Captain Testarossa are also listening in."

"Uruz Two reporting, Uruz Seven launched an escape of his own just as we were setting up to launch. He's already gone, though we did get a bonus from his escape. Apparently he managed to recover Al, the AI from the ARX-8 before he left."

A sigh of relief slipped from Tessa's mouth. "The ARX-8's Lambda drive and Faerie Feather are useless without the AI. That'll definitely be a setback for the Americans and any attempts to reverse engineer the technology from that unit." Tessa glanced at the other officers. "We can't readily allow our equipment to be taken apart by the United States, upsetting the balance of power could lead to a conflict between the United States and Soviet Union. That is something we cannot allow."

"I agree." Admiral Borda stated. "In my time in the navy I met plenty of hot heads itching to fight the Soviets, give them a reported means of besting them and they will push for a strike. Plus it's an election year, who will be leading the United States come this time next year is anyone's guess."

"American politics." General Amit shook his head with dismissal. "As if it will really matter who is chosen to lead that nation."

"It might. The struggle in the Republican Party is heating up between George Bush and John McCain. Unfortunately with the two term limit the Democratic Party is struggling to find a replacement for Bill Clinton, though at the moment it seems that his Vice President seems to be the most likely selection." Admiral Borda shook his head.

"John McCain would seem to be the most reasonable choice, but we should plan for American interference regardless. The main people in place in the CIA, NSA, JPL, and NASA are professionals and their advice could determine America's direction." Tessa fiddled with her hands. "Now, Melissa, have you determined a reasonable means to egress from Okinawa with your cargo?"

"Umm… not really, Al is a bit bulky with the power system that he needs. We're a bit tied to a United States truck at the moment."

Tessa sighed. "I see. We'll start looking for alternatives then."

"There is another issue, if we are still concerned about Mithril technologies falling into American hands." General Amit said and a digital panel on the Admiral's desk lit up as it received a file. "The United States has sent a company of Seabees to Merida along with NBC gear, apparently the Tuatha de Danaan may be salvageable once debris that fell during the battle and subsequent bombardment is removed."

Tessa's eyes widened as Jerome Borda glanced at the information. "I see…"

"Admiral, we can't let them get the de Danaan! The silent propulsion system would widen the advantage America fields in submarine technology against the soviets. Not to mention all the data that was in Danaan and all the documents in the vessel!" Tessa said.

"So, how do we stop them from digging the ship out and making off with its secrets?" Jerome asked.

"We send a team of our own. If the ship is salvageable it's possible the self-destruct system is functional. If they infiltrated the base they could then set the ship's self-destruct." Tessa stated.

"That's quite a few 'ifs' miss Tesstarossa." General Amit stated.

"I don't see you coming up with a plan of your own, General!" Tessa stammered. There were few people that could rile her up like this, but General Amit was one of them. She'd grown sick of bad orders coming from headquarters over the last year, and the squabbling between the upper leadership she'd witnessed over the years.

"Tessa, calm yourself." Jerome stated.

Slowly she leaned back in her chair and took a deep breath. "Thank you Uncle Jerry."

"Her plan is a good one with the limited information we have, and we'll begin putting it in motion once we have the Laevatein AI secured." Admiral Borda sighed and shook his head. "Fortunately I believe Sarah Miller was working on a significantly smaller and more portable version of the AI core. If we can have a prototype transported to the team in Okinawa, Al can be transferred to the new core and the old one can be purged."

Tessa nodded slowly. "That does sound like an ideal solution."

Borda nodded and tapped his display. "I'll send a communiqué to the Alaskan base along with orders to transport the device to Okinawa."

* * *

><p><strong>23 March 2000 20:16 hrs.<strong>

**Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Laboratory A-8, Computers and Electronics Research**

"Sarah!"

Sarah Miller jerked and she cursed as the soldering gun sent a bit of smoke up from the circuit board she was working on. Her finger burnt as she tapped the offending material and glanced up at the open door to the outside and the man yelling at her in full artic survival gear. She sucked on the finger and dropped the soldering gun in frustration before turning to him.

"What?"

"Urgent communiqué from Admiral Borda." He held up an electronic clipboard as she scowled. "Is that thing ready?"

"Almost, I need maybe an hour or two to finish the connections and run a test. Why?" Sarah asked.

"We need it, Sagara busted out of Okinawa along with Al. His current housing is a bit on the big side for sneaking it off the island." The man said as he waved the clipboard again. "Could you finish on a flight?"

Sarah bit her lip then nodded. "I could, but I wouldn't be able to run a system test."

"Well grab your tools then, we've got a long flight ahead of us." He said.

* * *

><p><strong>24 March 2000, 00:21 hrs.<strong>

**Langley, State of Virginia, United States**

**Office of the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence**

"Just find him! I'm really going to enjoy giving my morning briefing to the President and starting with an escape from one of our Asian theater bases!"

General John A. Gordon slammed the phone down on the table and rubbed his glasses with one hand. Across from the polished desk two other people sat with binders and laptops clacking away. Outside the window of his office it was dark and black. He took a deep breath and glanced back at the documents on his table.

At fifty-three years old he was far too old to be pulling all-nighters, but then he'd long ago learned that in this business bad news always arrived in the middle of the night. If the Soviet Union invading a country, you bet it'd be a call at one in the morning with just a four word description of the event. To which he could only answer with a four letter word of one sort or another as his sleep addled mind came to terms with events. The last month had been full of all-nighters, and the year before that had been loaded with them as well. Just when it seemed the world would quiet down the specter of Amalgam and its conflict with Mithril had raised its head.

"General?" The young woman asked from across his desk with her laptop balancing precariously on her knees.

"The Mithril Operative we picked up on Merida Island broke out of confinement, they still haven't found him." General Gordon rubbed his eyes again. "They're trying to be discrete but it's already been a number of hours since he slipped the net."

"In which case he could be almost anywhere, our information did suggest he had a large number of contacts around the globe, plus access to Mithril's network." The man that sat beside the young woman observed. "We've had quite a hard time tracking down Mithril contacts, and our fellows in the FBI have had much better luck thanks to being able to backtrack some of the equipment they procured. The fact that the organization purchased and fielded AV-8b Harriers, RAH-66 Comanche Helicopters, and XM9 Gernsback Arm Slaves has allowed them to weed through manufacturer records." He set a thick binder on the desk and sighed. "It paints a rather disturbing picture."

"How disturbing?" The general asked as he spun the binder around and flipped it open.

"A number of… highly placed American citizens not only are members of the organization but also among its leadership." He cleared his throat. "I believe you know former Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Jerome Borda?"

"I do… You're saying he was involved?"

"After the destruction of the base headquarters, overall command of the organization fell to him. The Admiral is not alone in having connections. Roy Seals is also confirmed as a member. Our British allies have their share including retired Captain Richard Mardukas. We've also found references to some higher echelon members of British society now deceased as being among the leadership."

Gordon rubbed the bridge of his nose. "The fact that such people are involved in the organization is… disconcerting."

The woman stirred. "I conducted interviews with a number of…" She glanced at the man nervously for a moment. "Special researchers at Groom Lake, and almost all reported contact with personnel identifying themselves as being parts of Mithril or their opposing organization, Amalgam. They also reported either a full cessation or diminishment of their talents since the incident on Merida."

_So the whispered claim that something about the events has blocked their abilities._ He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. As a man thoroughly trained in the sciences Gordon had seen and read a wide variety of unbelievable things, but the abilities demonstrated by the whispered had been the most significant and disturbing things.

To see the trance state they would enter, their hands scurrying across keys designing and documenting technologies that some scientists had declared simply impossible was to be pulled forcibly into another world. That these abilities all came from children with the same birth date, and that each was born within a scant three minutes made it all the more unbelievable.

_Now things will go back to normal. Maybe better, some of those technologies could be terrifying if placed in the wrong hands._

"I however have not had my abilities affected." The woman said and smiled slightly. "I do not believe that this change is permanent amongst the researchers, but only a temporary shock due to the silencing of one of their inspiration."

"Thank you Mister Bowler. I'll be sure to forward the most valuable portions to the president, go get some sleep."

The man nodded and slipped out the office, securing the door behind him. As the latch clacked in place the woman tapped a key on her laptop and a dull hum echoed in the room as jamming and security devices ran through a quick sweep.

John Gordon said as his gaze shifted to the woman and he stared at her. Just a little makeup and the young woman's age had seemed to advance to the late twenties or early thirties, an age common in the intelligence business. But she was eighteen years old, the same age as every whispered.

"The Whispered Office would now like to make its report." She stated with a small smile. "I've identified two more individuals, and located a third."

"I see." John Gordon said as he leaned forward. "Well Miss Wissen, lets hear it."

She smiled and ran a hand up through her hair letting it hang loosely. With it she wiped away some of the makeup and visibly grew younger, her grey eyed gaze leaping around the room for a moment.

"Yes, we've managed to locate one of the whispered under the employ of Mithril, a Sarah Miller. Additionally we've identified two more candidates."

She pulled a trio of folders from her binder and slid them onto the desk.

John glanced down at them and frowned. "A South Korean and an Indian man, they'd be difficult to recruit. And…" He stared at the file for Sarah Miller and noticed the location was just a set of GPS coordinates. A set he recognized as being either in Alaska or Canada. He picked up the phone. "Yes, I need the National Reconnaissance Office, I have a tasking."

* * *

><p><strong>24 March 2000, 13:05<strong>

**Jindai High School, Tokyo, Japan**

**School Courtyard**

Sousuke swallowed down a lump as he finished fielding a barrage of questions from his classmates. Some he couldn't answer, and after the events of the last year it seemed that most of his friends from school had come to understand why there were some things he couldn't talk about.

That had been a relief. _I was afraid they'd doggedly pursue such things like those people on Okinawa had. Their debriefing was just a thinly veiled interrogation._ He let out a sigh and felt Kaname leaning against him, one arm slipped through his. A distant look on her features as she watched Kyoko lean over to Mizuki and Maya. The three whispered with each other, their gazes jumping between Kaname and himself.

_They're plotting something. _For a split second fear shot through his brain but he quickly clamped down on it. _They're not terrorists. If they're plotting something it'll probably be beneficial._ He let out another sigh. _A year of fighting and pursuing Kaname, she'll probably hit me more for not fitting in after being away so long._ He glanced over at her and blushed. _Why is she hanging on me like this?_

"Sousuke?"

"Hmm?" His blushed deepened as he felt her gaze lock with his.

"Where'd you get the bike? I don't remember you having one earlier."

"I… borrowed it. I'll have to return it before tonight or it may be reported missing." Sousuke swallowed as she felt her grasp on his arm tighten.

"You… _borrowed_ it?" Her chocolate brown eyes hardened as she glared at him.

"I was in a hurry, and I didn't want to miss you."

"Oh." She blushed brightly and glanced away. "Okay, well when you need to go take it back… tell me. I'd like to come with you."

"Not a problem." Sousuke sighed and glanced at her. "How are you feeling? Are you feverish?"

Her blush darkened and she shook her head. "I'm fine Sousuke. Though…" Sousuke watched her eyes lose focus and stare of into the distance for a moment. "There are things we need to talk about."

Sousuke felt his stomach knot and he glanced at her nervously. If he pressed her now she'd clam up, it was what usually happened.

"Things will be back to normal now, right Sousuke? I mean, Amalgam is gone, Mithril is…" _Gone? _The unspoken word hung in the air between them as she fell silent and shuddered. He watched her, worry beginning to eat at his gut. It had been a few weeks. Could what happened still be eating at her?

_Of course it could, I'm still… a bit upset with myself after Nami. There's so much I need to tell her. So much happened, Kurz is alive and well for one thing._

"We'll see, but I'll be here Kaname, of that you can be sure." He smiled at her and squeezed her shoulder. "I'm right here, beside you." He lowered his voice to a whisper and leaned into her hair. "It turns out Kurz is alive too, he was with Melissa this morning when I… broke out of the Okinawan airbase."

"Really?"

"Affirmative, apparently they were planning to break me out so I left them with the truck. I'll hear from them sometime today, I hope." He sighed. "There wasn't time to get the full story."

Kaname nodded slowly then blinked away tears. "They told me you died. That you were on Merida Island when the warheads hit." She glanced at him and smiled. "I should have known it wasn't true."

"Actually it was. I was there when the missiles hit."

Kaname jerked back and looked at him, worry clearly on her face. Sousuke glanced back at her and smiled softly. "The Lambda driver protected me from the blast. Apparently I didn't even receive much of a dose of radiation during the day I waited for someone to show up."

"Oh, should have figured. That device can do almost anything."

"Except function reliably." Sousuke muttered quietly. Tokiwa tapped his arm suddenly and he blinked glancing at her. "Yes?"

She glanced at Kaname for a moment before shaking her head slightly, sending her pigtails wiggling as she did. Kyoko's voice dropped to a whisper as she leaned to the side opposite Kaname. "If you can keep Kaname away from her apartment for a while, me and some friends can setup a welcome home party for her."

"Not a problem."

* * *

><p><strong>24 March 2000, 09:37 hrs.<strong>

**North of Fayzabad, Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan**

**Shoreline of the River Kokcha**

"Are you certain the foreigner was here?" One man asked the other in Persian.

The man nodded his hands gripped tightly around an AKM that had seen just as many worn days as he had, perhaps more. He had a simple pakul cap atop his head and was clad in the typical dark grey clothes of the locals. His beard was well trimmed and cropped and had hints of grey.

The man that had spoken wore a turban and had a pair of wire frame spectacles sitting atop his broad nose. A curly mustache complimented his beard and his skin looked almost pink from years of abuse in the sun. He held a new AKM, perhaps liberated in a recent battle with the soviets to the south, west, or north. He glanced back at the older man.

"We're wasting our time if there is a foreigner surely he left by now."

"She." The older man said. "She was also clad in a body suit like the Soviet arm suit pilots wear, but different."

"Maybe she came from up north, there was a big battle up there I hear, between the Soviets and some other group."

"Majhid kept our people clear. There was a missile base there." The older man stated. "Wait! Quiet now! She's coming."

The clatter of gravel and loose stones being kicked loose by booted feet echoed across the ground for a few moments. Then there was a splash and a curse in a language neither man understood. They glanced at each other and nodded, clicking the safeties of their weapons off they shifted into a crouch and headed toward the river. Both weapons were gripped tightly in their worn calloused hands.

Then they stood and leveled their weapons at a woman, half way stripped nude and surrounded by grey Kevlar and composite materials from her pilot suit. Dried blood coated many of the pieces and a patchwork of bandages covered her sides. She froze, her eyes glancing between the two men as the older one centered his rifle on her.

"Check her for a sidearm." He said.

The younger man laughed as the woman wrapped one arm over her breast to cover up while lifted the other over her head in surrender. Then he walked forward and knelt, picking up a pistol holster with its weapon still inside it and presenting it to the older man.

"What is it?"

"I do not know. It does not look to be of Soviet make." The older man said then glanced at the woman. "Neither does she, for that matter." Frowning he gestured with the rifle to her suit. "Let her get more presentable, we do not want the youth getting ideas."

The woman swallowed as she zipped up her suit once again and cursed her luck. As the man gestured with his rifle she cursed again in English.

"Name." The man asked in Persian as he pointed to himself.

The woman slowly nodded, apparently understanding. "Sabine, Sabine Refiona."

* * *

><p>Sabina smirked as she was lead along a simple trail that wound its way along the river. She was lucky to be alive. She'd lived through being left for dead in that cursed missile complex by that idiot Mao!<p>

_And the missile failed, I can still feel them every once in a while! That damn girl lived, and Leonard died. It wasn't fair. The world wasn't fair. Even if they'd succeeded it wouldn't be fair because that's not how the world worked. Was it?_

Now she was being led along a dirt path by Afghans with bad teeth, terrible clothes, and a pair of assault rifles. At least she'd be to a town soon. Maybe they'd trade her for something.

_I know nothing about Afghans. That damn soldier of hers lived here for a while supposedly. What did they call him? Kashim! That's right, Kashim. The son of Badakhshan's Tiger, I hope he died, surely he did right? The world can't be that unfair._

Then she saw the two Afghans behind her smirk and one of them muttered something in Persian. She didn't understand what was said aside for a single name… Majhid.

_Shit, and here I am in the tiger's den. Maybe the world is that unfair after all. I should have ended it with that missile, dropped it on Las Vegas or Washington. Then they'd nuke each other and end this damn charade of an existence._

_Maybe it's not that bad, if I overpower one of these guys I might be able to kill Kashim's father. Now that would be a nice bonus._ Smirking to herself she started planning as she was led down trail.

* * *

><p><strong>24 March 2000, 14:49 hrs.<strong>

**Yokatsu, Uruma, Okinawa**

**Yokatsu Dockside Warehouse**

Wraith sighed and stood, stretching as she slung her SVD Dragunov over one arm and glanced at the others. Clouseau sat in the back of the truck as Mao checked his bandages.

"This sucks, should have known he'd break out by himself!"

Mao rolled her eyes. "I didn't invite you."

"Come on big sis, she got the GRU to give us the intel after all." Kurz Weber said as he stomped out of the back of the truck and dropped to the concrete floor beside it.

Wraith sighed. "I didn't get clearance to do much of this anyway."

"Oh." Mao muttered. "General Amit is quite a hard ass."

"More of an asshole you mean. That's the guy that pushed to have Sousuke pulled out of Tokyo before Hong Kong. Sousuke is hard to read, but he seemed damn destroyed after that." Kurz said. He leered at Wraith. "So that's the pretty girl under all those disguises, maybe you should shed your skin more—"

Mao ended his rant with a fist to his face that was almost reflexive.

Inside Wraith laughed, but not even a hint of a smile appeared upon her lips as she watched the pair.

_Love makes people crazy, stupid, and blind._

Her pocket buzzed to life as a secure phone rang and she sighed, pulling it out. The digital distortion system activating automatically.

"Wraith here."

"HQ, you are to resume your watch of Kaname Chidori and Sousuke Sagara. We expect you back on station inside of four hours."

_Damn General Amit, bet he's got someone watching my ass to. Damn jew doesn't trust anyone, not even his wife._

"Understood."

"Agent Wraith, remember you are employed by the intelligence division of Mithril, you are not to respond to any orders originating from another branch."

"Understood." She said again. Her tone was level but inwardly she winced. She'd gotten a lot of exposure to those on the operations side they were good people… mostly.

_Is there going to be another schism just when this organization needs to be rebuilt?_

The line clicked off and she lowered the phone and glared at it for a moment. "Damn it. Guys, I have to leave. Seems General Amit wants me to watch the lovebirds."

* * *

><p><strong>24 March 2000, 15:19 hrs.<strong>

**Jindai High School, Tokyo, Japan**

**Parking Lot**

The wind blew across the parking lot as Kaname looked back over the school grounds. She saw the pool and softball field in the distance. It was a place full of treasured memories for her, and a singular terrible memory from a year earlier when Sousuke was beaten by Leonard and she'd surrendered to Amalgam.

"Kaname?"

Kaname blinked and blushed as she saw Sousuke staring at her. "Just thinking." She said quietly.

"I see." Sousuke picked up the motorcycle helmet off the Honda Super Cub motor bike and handed it to her. "I'm afraid I don't have a second helmet."

"Just drive carefully then." Kaname said as she slipped it on.

"Roger." Sousuke slipped onto the bike and Kaname followed shortly after, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. She let out a slow sigh and leaned forward pressing her body against his.

It was a sensation she'd thought for sure she'd never get to enjoy, not after all the fighting, and Sofia! Then she'd been told Sousuke had died on Merida Island, killed by the nuclear blasts that had arrived shortly after their escape.

A grin slipped across her face. _Here he was though! Her protector, her friend, her…_ She bit her lip as her cheeks flashed crimson. _Her boyfriend... _Kissing Sousuke in front of everyone had been terrifying, and thrilling. After the last two years she realized that those two things often came locked hand in hand.

The bike's motor sputtered to life and Sousuke guided the vehicle out of the parking lot and merged with traffic. A number of their classmates waved as they passed and started driving along the roads toward the center of Tokyo. It was early in the afternoon yet, so traffic was light but that wouldn't last long. As soon as those in the inner city began to head from work to their homes the streets would be full.

Kaname tightened her grip on Sousuke as they rumbled past a park and felt the wind tug at her hair, pulling it out like a long blue banner that marked their passage despite the helmet.

At an intersection with a red light Sousuke glanced back over his shoulders at her, a smile on his face. She felt her cheeks heat up again for a moment before she tightened her grip even further and buried her head into the small of his back.

Then the wail of a police siren pierced the calm.


	4. Chapter 2: Grand Theft Moped?

_Author's Note: I have to make a shout out to Google Map's Street-view feature in writing this chapter. If you want to you can actually follow the route Sousuke and Kaname take in this chapter._

* * *

><p><strong>Sword and Shield<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2:<strong> Grand Theft Moped?

* * *

><p><strong>Moped<strong> 1. _n. _A type of low-powered motorcycle designed to provide economical and relatively safe transport with minimal licensing requirements.

* * *

><p><strong>24 March 2000, 15:29 hrs.<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Intersection of Metro Road 114 and Komae Dori**

Wakana Yoko sighed as she looked out of her Daihatsu Mira patrol car. _Damn Bonta-kun, I've been transferred from one division to another since he made his appearance. They think I'm crazy. Wait, it was before Bonta-kun first showed up when I was last in the traffic division. That was when…_

Her hands tightened on the wheel of the car and her knuckles went white. _I was chasing two teenagers riding double on a bike. Then the pair did something insane and impossible. They ramped off a city park staircase and ditched the bike mid-air, grabbing hold of tree branches. I ran over the bike and totaled the engine._

_Come to think of it, didn't that girl that helped me hunt down that pervert when Bonta-kun first showed up… didn't she kind of look like the girl from the bike? I got a better look at the boy though. A cross shaped scar on his cheek and wiry brown hair that fell down into his face. Pewter colored eyes. He'd be kind of cute if he wasn't turning into a criminal._

The light changed as she glanced out the window. She blinked. _No way!_ There, just around the corner of the intersection was that boy, on a moped this time! A dark haired girl was sitting on the back with her arms draped around the driver and she seemed to be snuggling him.

_That twerp! He's gone from stealing bikes to mopeds!_

Instantly she flicked on her siren and grabbed the loudspeaker. "You two on the moped riding double!"

* * *

><p>"Shit, riding double on a stolen vehicle!" Sousuke muttered as he slammed the gas and zoomed out of the intersection heading south.<p>

Kaname's grasp tightened on him as he accelerated. Still, it was only a Honda Super Cub and really wasn't meant for evading a police car.

"This seems awfully familiar." Kaname muttered.

"Hold on tight!" Sousuke yelled as he headed south on 114 metro road. With a glance over his shoulder he confirmed that they were being pursued. _Looks like a Daihatsu Mira, bit low powered for a police car._

Apartments and houses lined the street and a Mitsubishi Pajero SUV blocked the route ahead with its bulk. Cursing in frustration he jerked the Cub to the right and ran up onto the sidewalk via garage way. Then gunned the little moped as fast as he could. Behind him he heard the squeal of tires as the Mira sped round the Pajero on the wrong side of the street and raced beside him on the road its lights spinning and siren blaring.

Kaname stared at the vehicle and her mouth gaped as the brown haired woman behind the wheel glared at the two of them, a feral expression on her face.

"It's that one police woman!" Kaname yelled.

"What one?" Sousuke asked racking his brains as green metal fencing between the sidewalk and street flashed past.

Glancing over his shoulder he gaped in surprise as the Mira's window rolled down and the black polymer stock of a P90 personal defense weapon appeared.

"Oh my God! Sousuke!"

Gritting his teeth he swerved to the left, speeding off the sidewalk and into the street as the chatter of 5.7x28mm ammunition leaving the barrel echoed between two apartment buildings. Branches from the small trees and bushes that were planted between the sidewalk and street fell as they were cleaved by the gunfire. Then as he swerved in front of the car the gunfire stopped as he was now out of her line of fire.

Sousuke glanced over his right shoulder at the woman as she lifted the P90 in the other hand and aimed straight out of the front window of the car.

_Shit._

He jerked left again, ramping up onto the opposite sidewalk and slammed on the brakes as 5.7x28mm rounds hissed through the space he would have been, deflecting against the green metal fencing and tearing through an unfortunate tree. Kaname's grip tightened and he felt her head turn to watch the car.

"She's braking!"

"Kaname!" Sousuke swallowed as he saw an intersection up ahead. "My left rear pocket, there's a flash bang."

She fumbled through his pocket for a moment then produced the small grenade and glanced at it. "What now?"

"Pull the pin and throw it in the middle of the intersection. Before we get there!" Sousuke ordered.

After a moment the black cylindrical casing of the Mark 84 stun grenade arced over his shoulder and bounced into the middle of the intersection. _She always was good at softball._

"Close your eyes!" He commanded then did the same. The bike roared through the intersection just before the small explosive went off, blinding the driver of a brand new Nissan Cube who swerved off the road and into a telephone pole. A moment later a second car slammed into its side.

Glancing back Sousuke smiled. "I think we lost—"

With a snarl the Mira bounded over the two smashed vehicles, sparks shooting from its undercarriage as it bottomed out. Blue smoke rolled from the tires as they squealed from the abuse.

"Shit." Sousuke muttered.

"She's persistent." Kaname said.

Bullets cracked past them and Sousuke gritted his teeth before turning hard right and driving the scooter through an open gate into a park. Rounds shattered the stonework of the walls to either side of the gate and Sousuke pulled the American issue M9 Beretta he'd gotten in the escape from Okinawa from a pocket.

"Sousuke!"

"She's shooting at us!" He reminded Kaname.

Kaname ducked as a ricochet off the concrete wall buzzed past her helmet. "I know! Can't you just… I don't know. Shoot the car?"

_Shoot the car?_ Sousuke glanced over his shoulder at the Daihatsu Mira tearing through a hedgerow in pursuit and nodded. "I'll try and shoot out her radiator then."

He swallowed as he weaved through a set of hedges then rocketed out a set of gates back onto Metro Road 114. Seconds later the police car rocketed through the gates in pursuit as he drove back up onto the sidewalk. A 7-11 flashed by on the right as they approached another intersection.

A scooter buzzed out of the way just as Sousuke flashed through and looked to his left as the Mira drove up level with him, its driver tossing the empty P90 into the back and extending a stun baton.

He raised the Beretta and fired sending round after round of nine millimeter parabellum into the hood before the Mira slammed on the brakes and disappeared over his shoulder.

"Is she gone?" Sousuke asked just before he felt a thump from the Mira's fender connecting with the back license place.

"No!"

A boom of a shotgun echoed and Kaname ducked as a beanbag round struck the back of Sousuke's head. He let out a grunt and shook his head. _That smarts._

Then he weaved to the right running up onto the sidewalk once again. Another beanbag round flashed past before flattening itself against a tree while Sousuke shifted the Beretta into his other and hand. Then he hit the brakes dropping side by side with the Mira once again. He set the gun's sights on the engine and emptied the magazine.

The Mira kept coming.

_How on earth did that bicycle destroy the last one?_ Sousuke thought to himself as he tossed the useless Beretta aside and fished in his pockets, then winced as another beanbag round struck him in the side.

"Sousuke!"

"Not a problem!" He muttered as he fished another flash bang from his pocket. Then he swallowed seeing that the road ended in a T-junction ahead. "Kaname!"

"What!"

"Get ready!"

"To do what?"

"To jump off!" Sousuke yelled as the bike fishtailed from his sudden braking. Skidding to the right he felt the bike begin to slide then let go of the handlebars, reached up and clasped both hands over his head and rolled off.

The pavement stung as he rolled from the bike, sliding between two stopped cars at the lights as Kaname rolled off the hood of one car and let out a grunt. Her shins looked a bit scraped from the fall but otherwise she looked unharmed, perhaps even unfazed.

The Honda Super Cub skid into the right lane and stopped directly in front of the Mira. Brakes squealed and sparks shot from the suspension as the police car desperately tried to stop. It didn't and ran over the smaller bike, its handlebars scrapped the underside of the engine ripping coolant lines and pulling the cap from the oil tank. A moment later the engine burst into flames. The hood jumped open and the car sank defeated over its opponent.

Sousuke stood and dusted himself off, noticing a new set of scratches on his elbows and that his pant leg had been torn at the knee by the cement.

Kaname stood dazed for a moment as she dusted herself off. He swallowed, expecting a smack from the harisen, or her purse, or any other object conveniently available. Instead she grinned and folded her arms over her chest before pointing her nose in the air.

"I missed you."

* * *

><p>Wakana Yoko sputtered in fury as she stumbled out of her wrecked car and drew her stun baton.<p>

_Twice! That bastard put me out of commission with his stolen toy! Twice!_

"I guess this means we're walking. It seems I won't be able to return the bike after all." A teenage Japanese voice stated with a strange accent. Wakana blinked for a moment as she stumbled around her car and saw the two standing on the sidewalk, sporting some scrapes but nothing serious.

_Damn them!_

"Uh Sousuke?"

"Yes Chidori?"

"The police woman is glaring at you." The girl stated as Wakana glanced both ways down the street before charging toward them, her stun baton extending to its full length as sparks shot along it.

The boy spun out of the way of the swing then smashed into her arm joint with his fist, making her hand let go of the baton in reflex. Before Wakana could react a fist smashed her in the chest and she sputtered before stumbling back out of breath. The stun baton clattered against the pavement.

_What sort of move was that?_ Her mind yelled as she wiped away the trickle of blood running from the corner of her mouth. _It's like fighting Bonta-kun, but this kid is faster._ She blinked at the cross shaped scar and remembered the same scar had appeared on Bonta-kun. _Not possible._

Then a fist slammed her in the face and she dropped to the ground unconscious.

* * *

><p>Kaname wanted to be mad, hell she wanted to be furious, but after all this time seeing Sousuke back making a wreck through Tokyo filled her with an inescapable sense of joy. Sousuke was still Sousuke, no matter what the last year had put him through. He was still the crazy military otaku that held her heart.<p>

_It's almost like old times. God, I missed him… so much. But did he really have to knock her out?_

Kaname slowly shook her head as Sousuke lowered his fists and relaxed. "We should leave before someone reports that we've assaulted a police officer."

"Right, let's go…" Kaname turned to the north. "It looks like we're walking." She suddenly froze. "Wait… 'We've assaulted a police officer?' You did all of it!"

"Affirmative, the distance is now approximately three times that of the normal walk from Jindai to Sengawa Station." Sousuke shrugged. "At least no one was killed, peaceful solutions are the best."

_He's definitely back. If anything he's faster in a fight then before._ Kaname spun on her heel and grinned at him, leaning forward with an expression like that of a cat in a vat of cream.

Sousuke's face reddened as he saw the expression, maybe after a year he finally understood what it meant. He ran a hand through his hair nervously. "You're not upset?"

"I should be." Kaname said before her grin widened. "But, after the last year… this feels good."

"Understood." Sousuke smiled slightly and took her offered hand, squeezing it gently.

* * *

><p><strong>24 March 2000, 09:45 hrs.<strong>

**Kremlin, Moscow, Soviet Union**

**Lubyanka Building, Headquarters for the KGB**

The black GAZ Limousine rolled to a stop before the headquarters as guards soldiers snapped to attention. Vyacheslav Trubnikov closed the folder in his lap as the door opened and he stepped out into the cold morning air, his breath condensing before him.

"Comrade First Chief Director." The guard stated blandly as he held the door open.

Grumbling under his breath Vyacheslav glanced around as he adjusted his jacket before heading up the steps into the building.

The KGB had been divided into several directorates for many years, each one having a separate function from the others much like how the CIA in America was divided into intelligence, technology, and operations branches. There were thirteen separate directorates and a number of smaller units that were under the direct control of the Chief Director of the KGB.

Vyacheslav was the director of the first directorate, the foreign espionage branch of the KGB. Grumbling to himself the man stepped inside the warm foyer and slipped off his coat, handing it to the sergeant that stood beside the rack waiting patiently. That done he adjusted the jacket he wore, running a hand across the medals upon his chest then took a moment to clear the condensation from his glasses.

"Comrade director." A young aid stated as he handed him a handkerchief.

"Thank you Sergei, I take it you are ready for the morning briefing then?" The director stated as he flipped open the folder once again and settled his glasses back upon his broad nose to resumed reading. "The process of sweeping up the pieces goes on then?"

"Da, comrade director. We have already removed all Amalgam agents we have found, many of which are now guests in the basement." The aid smiled at the traditional joke about how the basement had once held those found to be traitors by the second directorate. In truth they'd long ago moved such prisoners off site. There simply wasn't the room here.

"The Operations and Technology Directorate has been drooling over these miniature arm slaves that Amalgam had created." The chief of the first directorate stated. "I would not be surprised if we will be asked to launch operations in competition with the Americans in the rush to grab the knowledge abandoned in the wake of their defeat."

"The Chief Director has stated as much comrade director." Sergei stated as he gestured along the red carpet. "He wants a meeting this morning with you, comrade."

"I see. I wonder what Vladimir wants then. We've already taken a great deal of flak from the GRU for our… connections with Amalgam. Not to mention our inability to find the woman that launched that nuclear missile."

"It has been suggested by those in the second directorate that she may have been aided by one of our own." Sergei stated. "I hope those are just house rumors and not actual facts, comrade director."

"You need not worry Sergei, even if there is truth to such matters you can rest assured that you and I had no knowledge of such an occurrence. The second directorate may be a bit over eager in asking questions but they know not to ask too many of our loyalty."

The younger man nodded. "Da, comrade director. I heard that three of the higher members of the Science and Technology division were tried this morning for their connection with Amalgam. Their retirement has already been announced."

_Retirement, a forced retirement delivered by a 5.45x39mm round most likely. They deserve it to be certain sharing secrets with such an organization nearly caused the world to end once already. There will certainly be a house cleaning this summer._

"The Premier has also stated an order on the other issue involving Amalgam." Sergei swallowed. "The whispered."

"Da, so we will finally be given direction on how to handle them." The older man chuckled slowly. "Mithril's operations may have done us a favor in the past by removing those associated with Amalgam from our ranks, by lethal force on occasion."

"Da comrade, but the order was surprising all the same sir. We've been ordered to take all appropriate measures to ensure that whispered individuals are not a threat to the soviet state." Sergei swallowed. "Comrade, I think they want us to take a much more aggressive stance on the issue. Maybe even assassinate those that are outside of our control."

_There is no maybe about it Sergei Golokov, as distasteful as hunting children may be… these children are quite a threat._

"Do not trouble yourself comrade, we will do what must be done. As we always have. I hope those fools in the GRU have learned not to trust Mithril either."

* * *

><p><strong>24 March 2000, 11:21 hrs.<strong>

**Fayzabad, Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan**

**Outside the Home of the General Majhid**

Sabine swallowed as the two men that led her to the door joked with each other in their incomprehensible babble. The guards there wore modern looking body armor, probably units they'd scavenged from the soviets. If that wasn't enough each held a modern Kalashnikov or a more advanced Abakan AN.94 Assault Rifle. Most of the guns featured fitted scopes on the butterfly mounts, PSO-1 or something similar.

_Typical Russian manufactured gear, but quite effective. These guys aren't riff-raff. Maybe trying to kill this man will be harder than I thought._

A simple woven rug hung over the doorway, something she'd seen on most of the local homes. Walking through the market she'd seen dozens of Kalashnikovs being peddled by merchants and weapons of all conceivable types. One merchant even had a Shipunov BK-540L AS Rifle in the back of a truck. Maybe with some welds they could make something that could hold the weapon, or perhaps he intended to sell it to an AS pilot. She couldn't know for sure.

With a flash the rug opened and a pair of girls with simple scarfs tied around their heads ran out past her as she was led inside, giggling and laughing as they chased each other around the yard.

Inside a number of rugs covered the floor and a man with a salt and pepper beard wearing a knit cap over his head looked up from the low table in front of him and stood. He glanced at the guard and spoke swiftly in the local language before studying her for a long moment.

All the while she studied the table, English copies of a dozen different books were strewn atop it, and a topographical map was rolled up at one end. A worn copy of _La Guerra de Guerrillas _sat with a battered cover and a dozen different bookmarks inside.

The man with the salt and pepper beard ran a hand through his curly whiskers and smiled. "Now, miss pilot, who exactly are you? You don't look Russian."

Sabine blinked, surprised by the crisp educated voice as she glanced back into his face. "My name is Sabine, Sabine Refiona."

"I see, now, why are you here? Those two servants of God said they found you out by the river. Are you perhaps hiding from the soviets or do you work for them?"

"I work for myself." She stated flatly.

"A mercenary then?" He smiled and sat indicating for her to do so as well. "If so we could certainly employ someone with your talents. Your equipment indicates that someone valued your talents quite well. What organization did you work for?"

"Amalgam." She stated. Behind her the guard twitched as the man stared at her for a long moment.

"I heard about Gauron's end, his services training pilots were of great use when he was here." The man answered carefully. "Our organization has not considered Amalgam an ally as of late, or an enemy."

"Amalgam is gone, squashed, demolished, and paved over. I'm all that's left." She stated, her mouth twitching with pride. "Mostly because of an associate of yours."

"I do not recall any of my associates fighting your organization, if anything your weapons and training has aided many of my people."

"Do I not speak to Badakshan's Tiger?" She asked. Her voice laced with acid.

The safety on the guard's rifle clicked as it was slid to the full-auto position. The man met her gaze and stared at her for a moment. "That is one name I have been called."

"The boy that brought us down was your son. Kashim." She stated as she took a step back toward the guard and kicked him in the nuts. There was a grunt of pain as she reached around and grabbed a hold of the rifle's muzzle and yanked pulling it into her hand.

Majhid drew a pistol from the cloth of his robe and fired as the rifle filled her hands. She felt a stab of pain in the shoulder followed by another flash in her upper arm. Reflexes made the limb go limp and the rifle tumbled from her hands onto the floor.

The Afghan General stared into her eyes and shifted his aim to the other arm, the PMm Makarov in his hands glinting dangerously. The curtain opened and another guard entered leveling his rifle at Sabine's back.

Majhid yelled in Persian and the man froze. Then his gaze shifted back to Sabine, cradling a mangled arm. He slowly lowered the pistol.

"Now, tell me. What exactly has my son done?"

* * *

><p><strong>24 March 2000, 16:03 hrs.<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**50 meters south of Jindai High School**

Sousuke felt naked. A bead of sweat ran down his temple as he glanced across the street at the school. For the first time in a while he was both free of any captors and unarmed.

True he had a half dozen or so flash bangs in the pockets of his uniform, some piano wire, and some small explosives, but what he now lacked was that single item that any soldier wouldn't be caught dead without. A gun.

"Sousuke, is something wrong?"

Sousuke swallowed back a lump in his throat and shook his head. "No, it's nothing."

"Don't give me that! You're a terrible liar." Kaname spun and glared at him. "Now, what is it?"

"I just realized. When I dropped the Beretta that I disarmed myself, I have no sidearm at the moment."

He almost expected the harisen, but Kaname seemed to be much more understanding after the last year. Perhaps being taken by Amalgam had made her more aware of the need for weapons. Or maybe she was just in a good mood.

"Well, that's not something you can buy off the street." Kaname sighed. "Sousuke, does it really bother you that much?"

Sousuke felt another bead of sweat run down his cheek. "Yes. How am I supposed to protect you without a weapon?"

She sighed and glanced at the school. "Alright, sensei probably still has a lot of your stuff locked up in her room, right? Lets go get it back. She won't be our sensei when school starts again anyway."

"Really?" Sousuke glanced at her then back at the school.

"Really! Sousuke, do you always have to ask if I'm sure?" Kaname stammered as she walked toward the school gates. "You are supposed to get confiscated stuff returned after a while!"

"I believe sensei said that I would have to wait for her to keel over and die last time I asked. I am uncertain if she was in jest." Sousuke stated.

"After what you did to her car, she probably wasn't joking. Perhaps you should have done something to make it up to her." Kaname stepped through the school gate and laughed. "Maybe you could buy her one of those new mini coopers or something."

"I see, I could probably afford to do that, and the value of the returned equipment would probably cover the expense." Sousuke stated.

Kaname gaped for a moment then rubbed her head. "Sousuke, just how much money do you have?"

"I am uncertain at the moment. Many of my investments have been untouched over the last year. You do recall I had a partnership with a Belgian weapons firm for the development of the Bonta-kun AS."

Kaname shook her head. "So you have money."

"Affirmative."

"Why don't you have a car, or a motorcycle of your own then?" Kaname asked as they stepped inside the main building and headed up the stairs.

Sousuke pursed his lips in thought. "I had not considered it necessary. Japan has a very efficient public transportation system. Though the additional security of not having to be so exposed on the trip to school and back would be beneficial."

"Maybe you have money because you never spend it." Kaname muttered as she stopped beside the teacher's office and frowned, glancing at the locked door.

"That's not true Chidori, all the equipment that I lost via confiscation had to be replaced at my own expense. A single pistol of the sort I often utilize is valued at well over eighty thousand yen. Military and security equipment is not cheap after all." He frowned at the door and pulled a set of tools from a pocket and knelt beside the handle. "The Soviet Union reportedly spends almost a third of its GDP on military equipment for example, and the United States military budget is the single greatest expense for their government. It's little wonder that weapons production is a highly profitable venture."

"They spend that much?" Kaname shook her head. "I don't know how much Japan spends on military gear."

"Not nearly that much Kaname, most of the military equipment utilized by the Self Defense Forces is rather old, especially among the ground forces. Only the Air Force and Navy have procured top of the line equipment, usually of American design. However Japanese electronics tend to be superior then those produced by the Americans, so there is a tendency for the government to purchase airframes without electronics so they can use local systems."

The door unlocked with a click and Sousuke slowly pushed it open and walked into the teacher's office.

"I don't know how you knew all that." Kaname stated flatly as she followed behind him and glanced around the office. Several large locked boxes sat beside Kagurazaka's desk, each with padlocks. "Huh."

Sousuke sighed as he saw the boxes. "It seems Kagurazaka sensei managed to procure some gun safes to store my items, a smart precaution if a bit of a hurdle for us. As for why I know such information, it's useful when one invests in military technology companies."

He tapped the padlock for a moment and sighed. "Perhaps wire cutters?"

Kaname rolled her eyes and walked over to the desk and opened it. Inside she found a set of keys and tossed them to him. "Try these."

Sousuke nodded and tried the keys, unlocking them easily. Opening the first box he found several of his Glock series pistols and a Steyr SPP modified for fully-automatic fire. With a sigh he took a Glock 26 compact and a Glock 17 from the box, slipping the compact into a pocket and the Glock 17 into his belt behind the back.

_The Steyr is tempting but I'm unable to properly conceal it at the moment._

"It appears Kagurazaka-sensei locked the ammunition up separate from the weapons, perhaps she took a gun safety course or something." Sousuke closed the first box then opened the second pulling out two magazines for each pistol and stuffing them in his pockets.

_This should be enough to protect Kaname at present._

"We should leave the rest and lock up, I'll speak with Kagurazaka-sensei on the return of the other items later." With that he closed the box and set to locking each up before returning the keys to the desk.

"Do you feel better now?" Kaname asked as she rolled her eyes.

"Affirmative."

* * *

><p><strong>24 March 2000, 03:50 hrs.<strong>

**Chantilly, State of Virginia, United States**

**National Reconnaissance Office, Special Tasking Division**

"We've got KH-11 images coming in from the special tasking that was requested. Man, a midnight order, how typical." The air force lieutenant sitting before the monitor stated as he rubbed his eyes and glared at the monitor. "For a nowhere place in Alaska."

The civilian sitting on the opposite desk nodded slowly. "I know, seems a bit bizarre. I took a look at a map and there's nothing there but a road that dead ends."

"Now I doubt that the CIA sent a tasking order just to screw with us late night shift people." The lieutenant shrugged and glanced at the monitor as a series of images flashed onto the screen. He gaped.

Across in the desk opposite him the civilian worker stared. "Holy shit."

Laid out in the images was an American air base, complete with onsite homes for officers, runway, hangars, arsenal, barracks, and the works. They could instantly make out a set of Humvees parked alongside a hangar and a M9 Bushnell standing beside the door like a sentry on watch. The dispersal pad was crowded with Av8b Super Harriers and two Boeing XF-32 joint strike fighter prototypes. Standing at the opposite end of the hangar a trio of C-130s fitted with an unknown set of turboprops sat at the ready and three Gulfstream diplomatic transports sat on the tarmac.

"Whoa… double check the coordinates and set up a second pass with a wider view." The Lieutenant ordered as he started typing up a report to attach to the images and began working to identify all the visible equipment. He paused when he saw the symbol painted on the wings of the C-130s.

Mithril…

* * *

><p><strong>24 March 2000, 17:13 hrs.<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**100 meters south of Sengawa Station**

Her knees were beginning to ache, after two weeks in the hospital she felt weak. Come to think of it, her time immediately before her rescue had been one where she'd felt weaker than normal. She'd eaten less and the frantic push to get the omni-sphere operational had worn on her.

_Damn it Kaname, you're stronger then this! Aren't you!_

She let out a long sigh and glanced to her side at Sousuke, a slight smile sliding across her lips. _Damn him, he always makes me feel weak._ As much as her mind cursed she felt good being in his presence once again. That year of being in Amalgam's clutches and then being their willing tool had taken him from her and only now, with him back at her side did she realize just how much she missed him.

Hell she even missed the trouble he left in his wake. She suddenly chuckled remembering the chase through the streets with that mad police woman in hot pursuit. _Classic Sousuke._

"Kaname?"

"What Sousuke?"

"Nevermind." He shook his head once and glanced around for a moment. They walked on the brick sidewalk beside Lupica: Fresh Tea side by side for a moment. He watched her stifled her laughter and glance back at him.

"Seriously Sousuke."

"I was just trying to figure out what you found so amusing." He stated simply.

"I was just thinking about that police girl, you've probably ruined her career you know." She chuckled again and smirked. "I wonder if she was that crazy before you met her."

"She did pursue us doggedly the first time, when I forgot your notes." Sousuke glanced at her. "It is one of the few bits of that day I remember clearly. I was really out of it."

"You were!" Kaname snickered. "If you'd just told me you were sick, and the teacher was sick. It would have been so much easier."

"Sorry."

Kaname rolled her eyes. _He's always apologizing even when it wasn't his fault._ She sighed. "It's not a problem Sousuke. It's one of those things you look back and laugh about after a while."

"I see. Though I'm not sure how my actions can incite you to laughter." He shrugged. "I have been told my sense of humor is in need of upgrading."

"In need of upgrading?" Kaname sputtered. _Who talks like that?_

"Well, it was Al that was the one who said that."

"Who?" Kaname said after a moment thinking back.

"The AI in the Arbalest and Laevatein, he is rather quirky." He smiled as he said the word quirky. Kaname did as well, it sounding rather strange and amusing from his lips.

They entered the station and sighed as they waited for the train to arrive. Glancing at a bench she gestured to it. As they sat a melancholy cloud settled over her and her good mood shattered.

The memories of the last year raised their head in her mind and she shivered. She'd given herself over to them to save her friends, her school… and in doing so she thought she betrayed him. She looked away and looked out into the distance of the sky, her eyes loosing focus. _Damn you Sofia. Damn you Leonard._ The image flashed into her mind of Tessa and Sousuke racing toward her, behind the sights of a pistol. A pistol in her hands. She flinched as a bang from the exhaust of a passing car echoed in the station. She saw in her mind the gun jump in her hands.

She swallowed down a lump. _It didn't happen! I didn't!_ A single tear rolled down her cheek and she wiped it away. _Damn it!_

* * *

><p>Sousuke sat in the train terminal, his gaze flicking across the dozens of people that were nearby. Cataloging, analyzing, and checking for threats. It had become so second nature that he didn't realize he was doing it. A lifetime in danger had made his reflexes, hearing, and sight into finely honed instruments. Satisfied that they were safe he leaned back on the bench and sighed. "Chidori?"<p>

"Hmm?" Kaname Chidori answered, her gaze fixed on her hands laced together. Exhaustion seemed to pour out of her body language and Sousuke glanced at her, a lump rising in his throat.

"We're almost home."

She nodded once and closed her eyes, a long sigh drifted from her lips. Sousuke's stern expression slipped into a frown and he looked across the terminal. _She's safe, alive and unharmed, you can relax…_ He told himself that over and over but every time he did a glance in her direction threw doubt on that statement.

She looked defeated, a burnt out shell almost. It was an expression, a look, he'd seen on every tour by the most battle worn of veterans, those that had given up. He'd never imagined he'd see Kaname's face marred by the look. Her eyes focusing on nothing, a thousand meter stare. He sighed, uncertainty coursing through every vein. Then he did something he'd seen others do but never done himself. He reached out, put a hand on her shoulder, and squeezed her against him.

Kaname jumped at the touch and then suddenly relaxed, leaning against him. A slight, almost imperceptible smile graced her lips and she rubbed her head against his shoulder. "Sousuke…"

"Yes Kaname?"

"Can you forgive me?" She almost whimpered as she spoke and Sousuke looked down at her, his eyes widening in surprise. Tears ran down her cheeks.

Sousuke blinked, confused. "Forgive you?"

She nodded and grasped his shirt with a hand. "I gave up. I… I thought I'd killed you, killed you and Tessa both." She sobbed and tears dropped onto his shoulder.

"You didn't so, it's not a problem." Sousuke said as he hugged her tighter. "I know it wasn't you, you never really meant to hurt me… even with that harisen of yours."

A nervous half-hearted laugh slipped from Kaname and she looked up at him before wiping away the tears. "Thank you."

The train rolled to a stop in front of them. Neither of them moved their focus on each other instead of the train. After a moment the doors slid shut and the train began to roll.

_We'll take the next one._

* * *

><p><strong>24 March 2000, 18:03 hrs.<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Chofu Airport**

Wraith clambered off the small commuter jet she'd managed to grab for the trip from Okinawa and sighed as she walked along the tarmac toward the terminal. Chofu wasn't much of an airport, more akin to a public airfield for general aviation enthusiasts. That made it two things.

It was private, which as far as the spy was concerned was always a plus. Her life depended on her blending into a society without much fuss. Hell, Mithril used to have a private hangar here to keep up with all the comings and goings of a certain sergeant and his friends in operations.

It also made getting a ride a bit of a problem from here on, but then again she had a deadline to meet and she wasn't going to let a bit of traffic or a bit of trouble finding a taxi get in her way.

With a sigh Wraith wandered through the terminal to the city street outside and swung her fishing pole case over her shoulder.

_That idiot uses a rifle case to store his fishing rod. I bet he never even thought to use a fishing rod case to store a rifle._ The smug smile graced her face once again as a taxi pulled up and the door opened. Smiling slightly she swung the baggage into the backseat and sat down.

"Tiger Maison Apartments."

* * *

><p><strong>24 March 2000, 18:23 hrs.<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Outside Room 404, Mansion **K **Apartments**

Kyoko balanced a set of bake-ware in her hands as she fumbled with the keys. Beside her Mizuki scowled as she glanced at the pig-tailed girl. "How did you get keys?"

"Who do you think has been keeping up the apartment while she was gone?" Kyoko laughed as the door opened and the group stumbled inside.

"I see…" Ren Mikihara observed as she followed Mizuki and Kyoko inside and glanced around the room. "It is quite impressive that she had an apartment to herself all these years."

"Uh-huh!" Kyoko stated as she sat a large tray onto the center table of room and glanced around the room. "I don't know when she got back though, maybe it was just today!"

"Oh come on, who would go back to school the day they got back from… wherever she ended up." Mizuki snickered. "She's probably been back awhile."

"I don't know, I would have thought she'd have called me then." Kyoko said absently as Shinji and Ono-D stumbled through the door carrying a set of drinks.

"Wow Tokiwa-san, you made all this so fast!" Shinji said as she set down a pitcher beside the cake on the table. "I hope they appreciate this."

"I wouldn't worry about Kaname, I'm sure she will. As for Sousuke… I did ask him to distract her for a while." Kyoko grinned and pushed the glasses up on her nose.

"Should we check the news for explosions then?" Mizuki said with a feral grin.

Ono-D laughed as he shut the door behind them. "I don't know Mizuki after Sagara kissed Chidori in front of everyone, maybe he has something else in mind."

Mizuki flushed bright red at the suggestion and lifted her nose into the air. "I still say he kisses like he was practicing CPR."

"It was rather romantic." Ren said quietly. "Atsunobu said he wished he could come but he's busy with the end of his college term."

"So Ren… have you and Hayashimizu-senpai started dating yet?" Kyoko asked as she pulled the digital camera from her pocket and lifted it to photograph the cake.

"Well… umm…" Ren flushed quite red and glanced at the floor. "We have been."

Shinji stepped up to the window and glanced out it at the Maison Tiger apartment complex opposite and sighed. "Wasn't Sousuke's apartment just over there? It looks like someone else moved in."

"He was gone for a full year, maybe he lost the lease." Kyoko said as she stood and walked over to the window beside Shinji. "It's not like his father was paying for it instead you know."

"Sagara did say something about being held on Okinawa till this morning." Ono-D scratched his head. "Where will he stay then?"

Kyoko snickered and glanced around the apartment. "I don't know…"


	5. Chapter 3: A Clear and Present Danger

**Sword and Shield**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3:<strong> A Clear and Present Danger

* * *

><p><strong>Presidential Finding<strong> 1. _n. _An executive directive issued by the head of the executive branch of a government, similar to the more well-known executive order. The term is mostly used by the United States Government, and in other countries may be identified by different terms. Such findings and other executive decrees are usually protocols which have evolved through the course of government and not typically established by law.

* * *

><p><strong>24 March 2000, 18:53 hrs.<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Roof, Tiger Mansion Apartments**

Wraith leaned against the side of the air conditioning unit and lifted her SVD Dragunov to her shoulder. Through the sights she watched the bustle of teenagers inside apartment 404 and pursed her lips slowly.

_Angel and Sergeant Sabotage aren't there. It looks like a surprise party or welcome home party being setup. _She paused as she recognized Kyoko Tokiwa through the sight. _Good to see she's alright, those Amalgam bastards have a sick sense of humor or whatever you call it when you turn a teenage girl into a bomb._

A slick smile slid over her face as she shifted her gaze toward the entrance of the apartments and watched a pair of figures approaching.

_Ah, there's Angel. Oh dear, they look a bit beaten up. What did Sergeant Stupid get them into now?_

She smirked as she watched them slowly head through the steps hand in hand. Grinning to herself she lowered the rifle and pulled out her phone, dialing a familiar number.

* * *

><p><strong>24 March 2000, 18:55 hrs.<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 404, Mansion **K **Apartments**

Kyoko scowled as the telephone in the apartment rang. She scrambled to it and picked it up as the others looked around a bit confused.

"Hello Miss Tokiwa, it's been awhile. I thought you might want to know that Sergeant Scruffy and Miss Chidori are on the way."

Kyoko's eyes widened and she grinned at the familiar voice, she remembered from her rescue from Amalgam. "Thank you. Nice to hear you're alive too."

"I'm like the Sergeant, too tough to kill. Hurry, they're coming."

"Bye." Tokiwa dropped the receiver and grinned. "Kazama, lights!"

Shinji flipped the switch and the lights went out. "I hope Sagara-kun remembers this party was planned."

* * *

><p><strong>24 March 2000, 19:01 hrs.<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Outside Room 404, Mansion **K **Apartments**

Sousuke sighed as they came to the familiar blue door to her apartment. He glanced at Kaname for a moment then shrugged.

"Here we are." Kaname sighed and pulled her keys from her pocket. "You want to come in, I don't know how much I've got for food since I only got back yesterday night."

"Certainly." Sousuke said as he leaned against the door.

Sousuke tensed as he heard a thump from within the apartment. Years of training and worrying for Kaname augmented by the ordeal the two of them had just gone through propelled him into action. He pushed past Kaname, and smashed open the door rolling into the dark room. His gun came up as he caught the glint of light reflecting off a pair of glasses. Then he flinched as the lights flicked on.

"Surprise!" A chorus of familiar voices echoed from around the dining room table. As he blinked away tears from the sudden change in light he felt a lump rise in his throat.

Sousuke blinked as he recognized the young man's face that stared down his Glock's sights. _Shit, it's Shinji!_ Glancing around the table he recognized the other faces. There was Mizuki, Kyoko, Ono-D, and a number of Kaname's other friends.

"Sousuke." Shinji said nervously as a flash from Kyoko's camera captured the moment for posterity. Letting out a long sigh Sousuke slowly lowered his pistol and straightened. He glanced back at Kaname expecting a scolding or a strike from her fan. Instead tears filled her eyes and she ran into the room.

* * *

><p><em>They set up a welcome back party for me!<em> Kaname felt her heart swell as she saw her friends. Grinning she bit back tears as she glanced at the rest of them. A camera flash drew her attention to her grinning friend.

"Kyoko!"

Kaname wrapped Kyoko in a hug and smiled. Kyoko cocked her head and glanced at Sousuke as he stood there watching. "Kana-chan?"

"It's so good to be back." Kaname said as she released Kyoko and leaned back, a wide smile plastered on her face. She glanced around the room, her eyes wide as she saw most everything as it had once been. Glancing back at Sousuke she bit her lip and shrugged. "Sorry about Sousuke, we've been through a lot."

Kyoko and Mizuki showed Kaname the cake and she felt tears begin to well up once again. "Thank you."

"You're welcome Kana-chan!" Kyoko said and grinned back at her, camera in hand. "We all missed you and Sagara." Smirking she leaned closer conspiratorially. "So, did anything happen over the year, with Sousuke I mean?"

_You have no… Kyoko!_ Her cheeks turned bright red before an angry thought leapt through her brain. _Seriously this is the first thing you ask me?_

Mizuki grinned like a cat with a canary. "Sousuke goes chasing her for a year and kissed her in front of everybody, I hope something happened!" She swooned toward the end melodramatically.

Kaname felt her throat tighten and blush deepen. Her voice was but a conspiratorial whisper. "You… you could say something did." She glanced nervously at Sousuke then to Kyoko.

"So are you together or what?" Mizuki asked not bothering to keep her voice down. Ren put her hand to her mouth and slowly shook her head.

_Oh now you've done it Mizuki!_ Kaname felt a flash of anger as her embarrassment reached new heights. Her heart thundered in her chest and tried to leap free completely. "Well… umm…" She licked her lips nervously. _You can do this Kaname. It's not like it's some world ending super-weapon or a disembodied chick trying to take over your body!_ She swallowed past a lump in her throat. "We… we're together." Her head dropped and she stared at the floor feeling exhausted.

"About time!" Kyoko declared before laughing. The rest of the class nodded in agreement. "After we saw you two earlier it better be official."

Kaname flushed bright red and laughed nervously. "Come on Kyoko, he saved me from terrorists again. That has to count for something right? It wasn't easy." She wilted somewhat and shook her head. "Actually… I thought he was dead till he showed up today."

"Kana-chan!" Kyoko gasped.

"I was held by the United States military in Okinawa until this morning. I was listed killed in action more than a week prior, I think." Sousuke shook his head slowly. "But I'm here now, so it's not a problem."

"That's right!" Kaname said squeezing her fist and grinning at the others. "So if this is a welcome home party, let's have some fun and try and forget about the last year or so."

* * *

><p>Ono-D clapped Sagara on the shoulder. "So you and Kaname huh? It sure is about time."<p>

Shinji nodded his agreement and glanced back at the girls for a moment as they began cutting the cake. Ono-D smirked. "So… how'd it finally happen?"

"That is a long story." Sousuke said flatly as he stepped toward the couch and dropped his rucksack. Glancing around the apartment he forced himself to relax.

Ono-D laughed. "Probably involving a dramatic rescue and lots of explosions."

_You have no idea._ Sousuke did his best to relax, slipping his Glock into the concealed holster and sat down. He let out a long sigh and ran a hand over his face. After a year of fighting and chasing Amalgam he knew that what little understanding of normal life had taken a large step backward. _Kaname is going to beat me to a pulp when school starts again._

School… the thought that he'd been gone for a full year lingered on his mind. The rest of the class had graduated and were now either enrolled in college or were in search of employment. Everyone except Kaname and himself, they had a full year to repeat. _It'll be a different class, different teacher, different everything._ He glanced at Kaname chatting away with her friends and sighed. _I wonder what it'll be like, how much the class will have heard of us._

"Hey Sagara." Ono-D said as he dropped into a seat beside him on the couch. "You still with us?"

_Still with us? I just got back._ Sousuke ran a hand down his face and let out another long sigh. "Sorry, it's been a long year."

"You want to talk about it?" Ono-D asked.

Sousuke shook his head. To bring up those events to his friends seemed wrong. He didn't want to bother their tranquil existence with tales of Leonard Tesstarossa, Mithril, and Amalgam. Plus, there were legal hurdles. "NDA."

Ono-D looked confused until Shinji spoke up. "Non-disclosure agreement, he can't legally talk about it I guess."

"It's better not to talk about it anyway. This is supposed to be a celebration, is it not?" Sousuke said slowly shaking his head.

"Hey Sousuke, did you lose your lease on the apartment?" Shinji asked, jerking a thumb to the window. "I noticed someone else had moved in."

"Shit!" Sousuke said as he stood and walked to the window. Glancing out across the way he saw that apartment 505 was indeed occupied, and clearly not by any Mithril personnel. A clothes line ran across the balcony that included a collection of women's underwear and dresses. The communications gear was nowhere in sight and his grip tightened on the rails. "Damn it, where am I supposed to live?"

"Sousuke?" Kaname arched an eyebrow and grabbed his shoulder. "What is it?"

He just pointed and sighed. "It seems I lost my apartment."

"You can stay here with me for a few days then, it's not a problem for you is it?" Kaname asked as she laid a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it.

"So bold!" Mizuki whispered to Kyoko.

"As if he'd take advantage, this is Sousuke we're talking about." Kyoko answered. "He wouldn't do anything to hurt her."

"No, it's not a problem." He smiled at Kaname as she blushed brightly.

Kaname relaxed and leaned against him. "Maybe it'll be better than the old days this way."

"It must be better than the last year." Sousuke said and sighed. "Thank you Chidori."

Kaname blinked and stabbed her finger against his chest. "It's Kaname, okay Sousuke. I'm not an officer, a teacher, or a stranger. I'm…" Her cheeks brightened and she glanced down for a moment. "I'm your girlfriend. You should call me by my first name."

"Sorry." Sousuke smiled and glanced at her. "I will and I'm sure you'll remind me if I screw up."

"You bet."

* * *

><p><strong>24 March 2000, 08:29 hrs.<strong>

**Washington, District of Columbia, United States**

**Oval Office of the White House**

President Bill Clinton glanced down through his reading glasses at the satellite imagery and slowly shook his head. Normally the morning briefing was a boring affair that was more ritual then actual importance. The last year had changed that, and it appeared that even with Amalgam gone, it would continue to be of greater importance than before.

Shaking his head again at the images of the base he sighed. "General, how is it that a base of this scale was constructed without our knowledge?"

"We don't know Mister President, suffice to say we've alerted the FBI of the occurrence and have begun a number of investigations, but as you know the CIA is not allowed by law to investigate within the United States. We're fortunate that the NRO is not restricted in the same sense."

"You say this location was found because of a whispered then?" The president continued to study the images carefully.

"Yes Mister President, the office in charge of investigating the whispered gave us the coordinates along with the dossier as to the identity of the possible whispered candidate. Considering her presence at a Mithril base, it's almost certain that her abilities have been awakened and employed by that organization."

"That's plain to see." The President tapped a button on his phone. "I need a meeting with the joint chiefs and the documents for an executive order, highest classification."

"Code-word level?" The secretary asked.

"Yes." The President answered as he shut the connection and turned back to his National Security Advisor. "Sorry Sandy but it seems this one came a bit out of left field."

Samuel R. Berger, the National Security Advisor just nodded. "Amalgam in general did as well. I can see that we'll definitely need to step up efforts in the area of the whispered."

"Unregulated use of their abilities has nearly caused a nuclear exchange with the Soviet Union, and you saw the reports. The Arm Slaves utilized by Amalgam all came from the mind of one single individual whispered and our estimates put the total number globally at between four hundred and a thousand individuals." General John Alexander Gordon rubbed his glasses idly. "We have only around ten working directly for the government, and probably a roughly equal number working for the Soviets. There could be as many as forty in China alone, split between north and south, fortunately the number of governments aware of their existence is quite limited."

"Not as limited as we'd like, the JAL hijacking to obtain one individual by North Korea proves that much." Sandy Berger said.

Bill Clinton leaned across his desk and ran a hand through his greying hair. "Two things are readily apparent. We can no longer allow the situation with the whispered to continue as it has. Their existence outside of government control represents a clear and present danger to the security of the United States and our allies. Second, is that the organization of Mithril has extremely powerful connections within out government. Both must be dealt with."

Sandy Berger froze and the General arched an eyebrow at the president. The elections were coming up fast and he was talking of a major policy change.

A needed policy change, both realized.

"I am issuing a finding to that effect. The whispered must be brought under our control or we may face another incident such as that we dealt with just a month ago. The Amalgam crisis rose in under a year, how long before Mithril or another rogue organization seizes their chance with one or more of these individuals."

"I'll begin compiling a list of know individuals so we can act on it." General Gordon stated. "Off the top of my head I can think of one in Japan and one that's American born that we should make a top priority."

"Unfortunately acting against the one in Japan could have serious diplomatic repercussions. She is the daughter of a major player at the United Nations." Sandy stated.

"Then we'll have to do it quietly, how soon can you get a team to Japan, Delta Force or CIA operatives preferably." The President asked.

"We can have a C-5 loaded with Little Birds and Delta Force Operators to Japan by this time tomorrow. Moving CIA assets tends to take a little longer." Sandy glanced at the notepad on his knee and quickly scribbled a note. "We'll also need to move quickly against Mithril, part of their stated objectives is the protection of whispered individuals."

"I can send a list to the Department of Justice of known members of the organization." General Gordon stated as he flipped through a binder. "It's quite a substantial list with some big names unfortunately."

"Yes, we'll probably want to prepare the public for the confrontation and any blowback." The National Security Advisor stated blandly.

The President nodded. "We'll make selective releases of information to give the public a taste of what is going on. Once the joint chiefs arrive we'll move to how we'll handle this rather large base."

General Gordon nodded slowly. "Mister President, if we're taking this general course of action there really is only one way to handle it."

The white headed man nodded slowly as the National Security Advisor scribbled a note. "The most forces we have easily accessible would be United States Army Alaska, with airborne and mechanized elements of the 25th division plus the 16th combat aviation brigade. Elmendorf Air Base would have sufficient aircraft of the sort to support the operation but… we're talking about a Mithril base, they're among the best in the world and while I'm sure they're strained we're probably going to take casualties."

The President nodded slowly. "We have no real alternative though, if we can get them to surrender without a fight it would be nice but I doubt it'd happen."

"Also mister president, such a major operation will require we alert Moscow to avoid further escalation with the Soviet Union. They're understandably jumpy after the nuclear detonation on Merida Island." The National Security Advisor stated finally.

"We'll jump through that hoop when we come to it."

"What are you going to have the code word for this new directive be?" The National Security Advisor asked. Usually code word material was created by the CIA, and thus they named the code word for the material. Since this was a presidential finding and executive order, it was the president's prerogative as to what the code word would be.

"I can only think of one thing that's truly fitting for the whispered situation." He rubbed his chin for a moment. "Oracle."

* * *

><p><strong>24 March 2000, 22:40 hrs.<strong>

**Naha Airport, Naha, Okinawa**

**General Aviation Terminal**

Sarah Miller woke with a jolt as she heard the engines shut down. Glancing down she sighed at the case in her hands, she'd finished on the way.

"Miss Miller, Lieutenant Mao is waiting for you." The pilot said as he opened the hatch of the Gulfstream G. IV jet and the flight of stairs unfolded. "Damn, sure is warm out there."

Sarah smiled slightly as she picked up the case and headed for the hatch. Clambering out she gasped as the warm tropical air hit her. In the distance the roar of jet engines echoed across the dark runway.

A single rental car sat beside the jet with an Asian looking woman leaning against the hood in a black tank top and a pair of khaki cargo pants. She smiled slightly as she saw Sarah. "Sarah Miller?"

"That's right." She said as she reached out to meet the proffered hand.

"Lieutenant Melissa Mao, the blond haired idiot behind the wheel is Sergeant Major Kurz Weber." Melissa smirked slightly as Kurz waved from behind the seat.

"Hey sis, why are all whispered pretty girls? It's not fair!" The blond yelled from behind the wheel.

Sarah blushed and nodded slowly. "I'm supposed to transport Al and Clouseau to the Alaska base. I take it you're my ride around here then?" She glanced around for a moment as the pilot popped his head out of the jet to watch her.

Melissa laughed. "Something like that I guess. We should also thank you for taking care of our squad mate." She snickered.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand."

"We're buddies of Sagara's!" Kurz yelled from behind the wheel.

"Oh, in that case you're very welcome." She said with a smile.

* * *

><p><strong>24 March 2000, 23:04 hrs.<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 404, Mansion **K **Apartments**

After four hours Kaname had managed to shoo her friends out of the apartment, promising Kyoko to tell her all about it later.

As the door closed behind the group and locked, Kaname breathed out a sigh of relief. _It was good to see them all, but..._ A smile slipped across her face as she glanced around the apartment once more and padded over to the window blinds opening them with a flourish. Outside the twinkling lights of the city at night greeted her. "That was nice."

Sousuke sat on the couch polishing off the last of a slice of cake as Kaname sat down beside her and looked out the window. "Yes it was. I did not know Kyoko and Mizuki were such good cooks." Sousuke said as he set the empty plate on the table beside the couch.

She nodded her agreement and sat down beside him. "Better than me?"

"No." Sousuke said and glanced over at her as she slowly leaned against him and put her head on his shoulder. "Kaname?"

"Just tired." She yawned and snuggled up against him, a smirk slipping across her face. Sousuke tensed slightly as she leaned heavily against him, closing her eyes. _ Tensing up still when I touch him?_ A snort slipped out and she opened her eyes again. "Something wrong?"

"No, nothing." He let out a long breath and looked down at her before slipping his arm around her back and holding her.

Kaname grinned and looked up into his steely eyes. "It's okay Sousuke." She shifted her weight to be more comfortable in his arms. _It's nice when he's like this… I wish it would happen more often._

Sousuke nodded slowly and glanced down at her. "Kaname, there's so much I need to tell you…"

She blinked and felt her good mood falter. _Of course there is, but couldn't it wait… _She slumped against him and sighed. "I know."

"How are you feeling? Have the whispers returned?" Sousuke asked as he slowly ran a hand through her hair.

"A bit tired, and so far they've stayed away." She smiled softly up at him. "Since Merida I haven't heard a peep from them. Normally I felt more lethargic when I woke up then I have since then."

"I think you've lost weight."

Kaname blushed furiously as she glanced down at her slim form and scowled. "Sousuke! There are two things you never ask a woman. How old they are, and how much they weigh."

"I… I apologize. I was concerned about your health." Sousuke ran a thumb along her cheek and looked at her. "I would not be me if I did not worry."

She let out a puff of air and felt her embarrassment fade. _It is the way he is, no changing it. Truthfully it's nice to know he worries about me._

"I know." She glanced up into his steely eyes and sighed. "It's not going to be like the old days will it? Kyoko and the others are going to college and we've got a year to repeat. This means we'll be in a different class with a different home room teacher for you to terrify." She blew at her bangs and sighed. "I don't know why but I'm scared."

Sousuke ran his hand along her face and looked at her. "But why? Amalgam is defeated."

"But Mithril is in tatters. What's to stop other organizations! What about other countries, the KGB or the Chinese, or the North Koreans again! If they pulled another hijacking there'd be no rescue." She wilted somewhat in his arms and felt tears run down her face. "I'm scared Sousuke."

Sousuke glanced down at the floor and let out a sigh. "You are right. I had not considered all that. I focused on the enemy in front of me. Target fixation is a fatal habit that I should remember to avoid."

"You'll stick with me, right Sousuke? I don't want to make you save me again but…"

"I'd do it all over again, maybe a bit different but I would do it over again." Sousuke looked back at her and wiped away a pair of tears. "You're more than worth it. You're worth any price to me."

"Oh, Sousuke!" She hugged him tighter. "Thank you!" Sousuke smiled and pulled her into his lap, caressing the small of her back as he did so. She relaxed in his arms and closed her eyes. "Thank you…"

"It's not a problem."

* * *

><p><strong>24 March 2000, 09:30 hrs.<strong>

**Washington, District of Columbia, United States**

**Oval Office of the White House**

Admiral Jay L. Johnson stepped inside the oval office, his bright green eyes taking in the appearance of the President leaning over his desk and a set of folders laid out upon his desk marked as classified. Sandy stood beside the president as General Gordon flipped through a large binder and pointed to a number of names inside. The President looked grim. It was an expression no one outside the white house was really allowed to see.

_Something is in the works, and it's big. The threat board is damn clear though, the Russians have calmed down after the nuclear explosion on Merida Island quite a bit and the CIA says they're cleaning house of Amalgam agents and sympathizers inside their own borders._

Behind him the rest of the Chiefs of Staff stepped inside and an aid shut the door behind them. A beam swept the room after a moment and the Admiral felt the cell phone in his pocket rumbled once then shut off.

"Admiral, Generals." The President nodded to his National Security Advisor who began handing out classified folders. "This information and finding is Code-word 'Oracle' material."

Johnson flipped open the folder and immediately froze as a digital image of an airbase appeared on the front page. The equipment looked American at first glance, and after a moment he felt his stomach knot as he recognized the insignia and an M9 Gernsback from the images. Mithril.

"These images were taken this morning of a section of Alaska that according to official maps is nothing but a forest with a single dead end road to its center." Sandy said. "As you can tell from the equipment and insignias in the imagery, this is a Mithril base."

Johnson felt the knot in his gut grow cold. _They wouldn't be planning to do that, would they?_ He cleared his throat once then glanced at the National Security Advisor.

"Mister Berger, Mithril has been historic allies of this administration. While their possession of a large base in American territory is disturbing…"

"Admiral, Mithril was an ally of convenience. We've seen that their security is shoddy and that their reliance on Mercenaries makes them inherently unpredictable. Their creed of not belonging to any one nation makes them just as much a threat as any foreign government and the technology could lead to terrifying events if it falls into the wrong hands." Sandy answered quickly, it was a practiced line.

The President leaned back in his desk. "Jay, we all know friends that have joined Mithril's cause over the years and they were valuable allies against Amalgam, but the root cause of that crisis lies in something they've sworn to protect from national interference. We cannot allow children with brains full of black technology to run around the globe unsupervised. It's worse than a baby with a gun. It's like giving moody teenagers a nuclear arsenal."

The cold unrelenting logic of the head of state beat down on Admiral Johnson and he swallowed slowly. "The American public would be horrified if they knew we were turning upon an ally."

A heavy silence fell in the room as the group glared at their newest member, the man that had replaced Jerome Borda after he resigned seven years earlier.

The president stood and looked toward the window. "The decision has already been made Admiral."

Jay L. Johnson glanced down at the briefing then closed the folder with a slap and set it on the desk. "I cannot be a party to this discussion. My resignation will be on your desk by noon."

"I understand Admiral."

Jay L. Johnson swallowed and headed out the door, his hands shaking somewhat as he wrenched it open and stepped through. He sighed as he shut it behind him. Then he handed down the hall and pulled his cell phone from his pocket. Swallowing once flicked through the contacts and stopped on the name of a friend.

"Hell, Leavenworth wouldn't be that bad."

He hit dial.

* * *

><p><strong>24 March 2000, 09:41 hrs.<strong>

**Portsmouth, State of Virginia, United States**

**Home of Admiral Jerome Borda**

Tessa sipped at a cup of morning tea in the study and sighed. Her uniform was packed away, possibly forever and instead she wore a skirt and blouse. The time she had spent in uniform made it so the more formal clothes felt… normal, more comfortable then the loose clothes someone her age would more often choose.

The phone rang and the battered Admiral picked it up automatically. Tessa glanced at the caller ID as he tapped the speakerphone function.

"Jerry, it's Jay. Leave the country, the president just decided that controlling the whispered is in the nation's best interest. Just leave, take Tessa and get out."

"Thanks Jay." Admiral Jerome Borda said as he glanced at Tessa. "Understood, hopefully you won't get in much trouble for this."

"I couldn't live with myself if I didn't. Good luck, if not I'll meet you in Leavenworth prison."

Tessa ran for the door, "I'll get packed. Where will we go Uncle Jerry?"

"Australia, we still have contacts there and some parts of headquarters will be useable I hope." He shook his head as he picked up his cane. "I'll start destroying records."

"We won't be able to contact General Amit very easily now."

Jerome Borda snickered. "I'm uncertain if that is a good or bad Tessa."

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 00:09 hrs.<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 404, Mansion **K **Apartments**

"Come on Sousuke." Kaname said as she slipped off the couch and yawned. "Time for bed." When he didn't respond she grabbed his hand and pulled him upright.

"Kaname?" He looked surprised as she dragged him toward the door. "Where are you…" The door opened and he stopped, sweat beginning to bead on his forehead. "But, but…"

Kaname sighed as Sousuke glanced around the room nervously. _Scared of being in my bedroom?_ She saw his near panicked expression and sighed again. "I can't believe this."

Sousuke nodded glumly. He hadn't considered the possibility that the 'safe house' would have been gone on his return. Apparently Mithril had been hurting worse than even he'd known over the last year. "I will talk to the office tomorrow and see if I can rent an apartment. I have no wish to intrude upon your living quarters." As he spoke he backed toward the door.

"Sousuke, it's alright." Kaname said as she walked over to the bed and sat down on it, crossing her legs.

"I will also need to procure clothing and equipment." Sousuke scratched at the back of his head and glanced at the floor. "I own nothing but what is in my rucksack now."

Kaname blinked at that statement and slipped off the bed. _Everything he owned is gone? That's… that's awful._ She sighed. "We can go shopping tomorrow, alright? I need to get a new phone anyway, and I'm not sure how well my old clothes fit now…" A little smirk leapt up on her face as she thought about his situation. _Maybe I can get him to wear some decent clothes if I supervise._ A teasing smile slipped across her face. "Now… there's the issue of sleeping arrangements."

"Do you have a sleeping bag or mat, I can easily—" His speech was cut off by the thwack of her harisen atop his head. He blinked at her, looking surprised. There wasn't any sign of pain.

_Probably because I didn't hit him that hard._ "Sousuke." She folded her arms over her chest and tapped the harisen against her shoulder. "Do not worry about it. The bed is big enough for us to share." She almost choked on the words, stunned for having them fall out of her mouth. Her face flushed crimson and she saw Sousuke's eyes widen and sweat begin to pour down his face.

"Kaname… I…" Sousuke swallowed down a lump in his throat and looked at the bed, clearly a bit stunned. "You would do that?"

"Yes." _Especially if it's only for a day or two, I can handle that I think._ Kaname put her hands on his shoulders and rubbed them softly as if giving him a massage. She could feel the tension in his muscles slowly begin to melt away.

He bowed his head and nodded somewhat nervously. "Thank you Kaname."

"Baka." Kaname smirked as she spoke. "You chased me down and saved me, took a year out of your life to find me. Went through hell to get me… even when I turned on you! And you think I wouldn't offer up my apartment to you for a few days or my bed?" Slowly she pulled him into a hug and kissed his nose. "I'm not that mean am I?"

"No, you're not. I always cause you trouble though." Sousuke smiled, one of the rare genuine smiles that she'd seen.

Kaname relaxed as his arms encircled her and held her close. She buried her head in his chest and smiled, breathing in his scent she wondered how long it'd been since he'd showered. "And making you chase me across the globe wasn't causing you trouble?"

"I'd do it again." Sousuke said before planting a kiss on her forehead. "It's not a problem."

A low chuckle slipped out of Kaname's mouth before she could stop it. Slowly she leaned back and looked up into his steel eyes then stood on her toes and captured his lips with her own.

* * *

><p>Sousuke stood in shock. <em>Surprise attack... enemy victory… opposition meaningless…<em> His arms wrapped around her back as he kissed her back, loosing himself in her lips. After a few moments he leaned back and kissed her forehead. "Kaname… I love you." _I surrender._

"I love you too." He looked at the impish smile that played across her lips and felt blood rush to his cheeks. "That is why I'm willing to do this." She pressed up against him and kissed his cheek. "Now, I'm going to change into some night clothes."

As she slipped away to the dresser Sousuke pursed his lips in thought. He felt loss at her moving to the dresser, which by itself was a surprise. _Feelings… I'm a specialist, a soldier, I need to control my emotions or else I'll get killed._ He swallowed as a second set of thoughts came to him. _Or so I thought._ Remembering the fights with the Arbalest and Laevatein he sighed. _Those damn unpredictable systems. They needed me to feel my emotions, to panic, to anger, and…_ He glanced over at Kaname as she pulled a set of pajamas from a drawer and examined them. _…and to love. Maybe emotions isn't nearly as useless as I thought, it just has its own proper place._

"Sousuke, don't you need some nightclothes?"

"Right, I have some in the rucksack." Sousuke muttered before standing and slipping out the door he headed for the couch and opened the rucksack looking for a set of pajamas.

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 00:47 hrs.<strong>

**Yokatsu, Uruma, Okinawa**

**Yokatsu Dockside Warehouse**

Sarah Miller smiled as she sat the case beside the massive AI core in the truck. She looked at the cubic meter of equipment that housed the AI and shook her head. "Thank god for Moore's law."

"What is Moore's Law?" Kurz asked from the end of the truck watching her work.

Al's robotic voice echoed from the speakers. "It is a theoretical law of computing which states that processing power doubles every eighteen months. As a consequence the amount of space required to hold the same amount of processing power halves every eighteen months, since it has been roughly three years since my creation I can only posit that the amount of space needed to operate my processes has decreased to roughly one quarter of what it once was."

"You are correct Al, and since weight increases by the cube this new unit will weigh significantly less, I'll be able to carry you by hand easily back on base." Sarah smiled as she pulled a pair of plugs from the AI core and into the briefcase unit. "Prep for transfer."

"Understood. I will overload the core's systems once the transfer is complete, they will not have even a hint of my base code." The AI stated. "Ready."

"Begin transfer." Sarah glanced at the simple digital display watching its progress. "This will take a couple hours unfortunately."

"Hey Kurz, go find me some beer!" Mao yelled.

The blond chuckled. "Yes Ma'am. You want anything while I'm out?"

"Yes, a coke if you could, or a pepsi. I'm starting to get a bit tired." Sarah said as she watched the display. "Sadly Al can't talk during a transfer, I've been hoping to get a chance to catch up."

"I'll get some food too. The Lieutenant will probably kick my ass if I don't get moving. See you." Kurz waved and was gone.


	6. Chapter 4: Gathering Dangers

_Author's Notes: I did some research to figure out the likely cartridges used in the various up-scaled rifles utilized by the AS's to find out the actual combat effectiveness of each. As a rough factor, AS weapons are roughly five times larger in dimensions then their hand held counterparts and approximately one-hundred-and-twenty-five times as heavy. As an inference this means that the Shipunov BK-540 that is used by the RK-92 Savage and seems roughly patterned after the AKS-74U weighs a whopping 750 lb. unloaded. The massive 40mm rifle used by the M9 Gernsback and M6 Bushnell weigh in at roughly 1,250 lb. unloaded._

_Some specific combat abilities of each weapon are as follows._

_Bofors ASG96-B 57mm smooth-bore gun_

_Ammunition: 57x438mm shells usually a mix of APDS and HE-Frag._

_Armor Penetration: 110mm at 1,000 meters_

_Ericon Controlaves GDC-B 40mm AS Rifle_

_Ammunition: 40x364mm shells usually a mix of APDS and HEI-T_

_Armor Penetration: 35mm at 1,000 meters_

_Otto/Melala "__Boxer"__ scattershot cannon_

_Ammunition: 90x600mm shells (Officially labeled 57mm, considering a 5x increase in bore from a 12 gauge shotgun (18.5mm) results in 92.5mm this is more likely)_

_Armor Penetration: 190mm at 1,000 meters with Sabot or slug, 30-40mm with buckshot or frag_

_Shipunov BK-540 37mm AS Rifle_

_Ammunition: 37x198mm shells usually a mix of OR-167 Frag-T and BR-167 AP-T_

_Armor Penetration: 30mm at 1,0000 meters (40mm with HVAP ammo)_

_Using that information we can extrapolate on some other weapons that likely are in use by the various groups. It's likely that soviets have a weapon comparable to the Boxer shot cannon which would fire the same 100mm round used by the BMP-3 Infantry Fighting Vehicle this would likely be similar in design to an enlarged Saiga-12 or TOZ pump action shotgun. The soviets would also have their own 57mm cannon for Snipers and marksman though specialist roles and equipment are likely less common in Soviet doctrine then American doctrine. The automatic pistols used by Zy-98 Shadow shown in TSR and the Cordarls are likely 23mm caliber weapons using a pistol form of the gun used in the Zsu-23 Shilka AAA cannon or 30mm that fire the same cartridge as the BMP-2. Most of the main AS weapons are unusual in that they use calibers that have been phased out in most nations. The Shipunov 37mm for example uses a caliber that was discontinued in the 1950s from further use. 37mm, 40mm, 57mm, and 90mm shells are all much rarer than they once were in the 1950s and 1940s. The 90mm shell for the boxer is actually a World War II era flak shell, probably with the nose squared off so it can be cycled through a pump action. It's roughly comparable to the infamous 88mm flak gun._

_Now… a word on what this means. An Arm Slave can reliably engage an Infantry Fighting Vehicle and expect to win (BMPs have only 30 to 40mm of armor) but they're not looking at a one shot kill against main battle tanks unless they're up close and firing down on the turret or fire a volley of fire that knocks out the less protected parts of the tank such as IR scopes and so forth or hits vital components like the gun sight or engine deck. An Arm Slave is more mobile than tracked vehicles and can hide in forests and foliage unlike a helicopter. In combat both attack helicopters and Arm Slaves have a similar function, just one is better in urban or forests and one is better in open terrain._

_Wow, I'm starting to sound like Shinji! Back to the story!  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong>Sword and Shield<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4:<strong> Gathering Dangers

* * *

><p><strong>Danger<strong> 1. _n._ (obsolete) Ability to harm; someone's dominion or power to harm or penalize. See In one's danger, below. 2. _n._ (obsolete) Liability. 3. _n. _(obsolete) Difficulty; sparingness. 4. _n. _(obsolete) Coyness; disdainful behavior. 5. _n._ (obsolete) A place where one is in the hands of the enemy. 6. _n._ Exposure to liable harm. 7. _n. _An instance or cause of liable harm. 8. _n._ Mischief.

* * *

><p><strong>24 March 2000, 20:34 hrs.<strong>

**Fayzabad, Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan**

**The Home of the General Majhid**

Majhid stood and looked out across the darkening cityscape, the curtain held roughly to the side. He slowly chewed his lip in thought. According to the woman Kashim was dead, but Majhid was uncertain whether to believe that.

_That boy has survived many things that would have broken or killed others, merely adding a nuclear blast to the list would be like checking a box on his score card._ He took a deep breath and scowled slightly smelling the distinctive acrid odor of Hashish being carried up from the town below by the wind. _It dulls the mind far more than the stress relief it brings._

"Have you told me everything?" General Majhid asked quietly, his eyes focusing out amongst the stars.

"Yes." The woman's voice was soft, a result of the painkillers more than her natural state. The bonesetter had done his best with the wounds he'd inflicted and those they found beneath her armor, now she was clad in simple grey trousers, a long qemis shirt, and a cotton hijab was wrapped around her head. The burqa was not a required garment under Majhid's rule for women, and he himself had tutored his daughters in English and other languages. Education was a rite of all in his eyes. He ran a hand through his hair before readjusting his pakul cap atop his head and glanced back at her.

"Your wounds will heal given time. If what you say about yourself and these whispered is true, you are a most valuable individual, but I am uncertain if your skills will be of any use to us." He ran a hand through his curly hair for a moment. "Though I am certain the Soviets or Americans would see you as quite valuable."

He smiled slightly as the woman's eyes widened, a hint of terror at the thought of being traded to either group seemed to appear in her eyes.

"I take it that would not be preferable to you." He stated simply.

"No."

Majhid nodded slowly and glanced out the window. "I am certain you are skilled as an AS operator, and my men could always need further training. Would such a position be suitable to you?"

"Work as an instructor for you?" She asked quietly, her eyes studying him for a long moment. "I could do as you ask, my life is purposeless since the death of… Amalgam."

Majhid knew that Amalgam was not what had died, the one she called Leonard would better fit the sentence she had spoken. He let the silence grow for a moment.

"Than by Allah's grace you have fallen into my lap, and I've given you something of a purpose." He rubbed his beard once again then stepped out the door and sighed, glancing up into the twinkling light of the first stars of the night.

"Kashim… are you truly gone or have you survived once again? I must say I'm proud of you." He smiled to himself and glanced at one of his couriers sleeping beside the doorway, an empty satchel case acting as his pillow. "Not that long ago that was you, and now you're out saving our world. I always knew you were meant for more than that life."

_I would like to meet this Kaname Chidori, but I am uncertain if that is possible. I have so few contacts out in the world at large._

"Farzen!" He called out and a young man who looked to be eighteen stepped up and saluted smartly.

"General!"

"I have a job for you it will be a bit difficult." He smiled slightly at the young man. "How is your Japanese?"

"Rusty, General, and of no use here." He adjusted his pakul cap and shrugged. "Kashim and Kalinin alone spoke it for me to practice upon."

"I have received word of Kashim." He spoke in English and glanced at the information he had collected.

"Really?" The young man brightened as he spoke and smiled in the dim light.

"Yes, it seems he's made quite a name for himself outside our little world." The afghan general smiled and shook his head. "The woman that was brought before me knew of him, and wanted to kill me because of it."

"I see." Farzen shrugged. "What has he been up to?"

"You remember the rumors of an organization called Mithril?" General Majhid asked as he walked along the wall of the small compound.

"Some group by that name intercepted a nuclear weapon the government wanted." Farzen said as he adjusted the rifle on his back and glanced out over the dim lights of the city.

"Kashim was part of that team." General Majhid smiled. "According to Sabine, he's been going by Sousuke Sagara. It seems the poor boy has even found love."

"Kashim and a woman?" Farzen laughed and bent over. "Only Allah himself could make that happen!"

"Indeed." Majhid shook his head slowly and glanced back at Farzen. "But it has happened, he's spent a great deal of time working to rescue her, apparently Amalgam made the mistake of abducting her."

"And now it's in ruins no doubt." Farzen laughed again. "So, what do you want me to do?"

"I'd like you to find her, her name is Kaname Chidori. Amalgam even knew her home address." He pulled a scrap of paper from a pocket and handed it over. "Find her, if he's alive you'll find him. I'd like to resume contact with my son, if he is dead I would wish to offer my condolences."

"Yes General, I'll see about it right away." He pursed his lips and Majhid could see the young man's mind begin to turn about the problem of getting to Japan. He was a courier, had been for years, and delivering messages was his specialty. He smiled slightly. "I believe I can make it there in a day or two."

"Good."

Across the city an explosion sent a plume of smoke through the air as a dark shape flashed overhead followed by a string of blinding white flares. Green tracers chased the Su-25 Frogfoot across the sky before a second explosion echoed from the city below and Majhid sighed.

"They're starting early tonight."

* * *

><p><strong>24 March 2000, 07:51 hrs.<strong>

**Elmendorf Air Force Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Dispersal Center for the 3****rd**** Wing, 11****th**** Air Force**

Four F-15E Strike Eagles sat out on the pad, their four pilots and four RIOs sat in the heated confines of the building in their full G-suits. Before them their squadron commander paced before a whiteboard pointing out different aspects of their training mission.

"Right, now you will approach the initial point at angels ten, then drop down to low level for the transit through this valley to the—"

A blast of cold air made the pilots shift in their seats to see who had stepped inside. They stopped and froze as they saw an Air Force General slowly begin removing his coat. "Major, the training sortie is canceled. How soon can your squadron be at action readiness?"

The squadron commander that had been running through the mission gaped for a moment. "Twelve hours sir, we've got four write offs currently waiting for the mechanics to fix though."

"Check them, make sure what's broke is something vital, if it isn't ready them. We'll need every plane we can lay our hands on." Scowling he glanced down at the pilots. "Base wide briefing in the convocation center at 10:00 hours sharp."

"Yes sir." The major said as he glanced at the pilots. _What the hell is going on?_

* * *

><p><strong>24 March 2000, 08:01 hrs.<strong>

**Fort Richardson, State of Alaska, United States**

**25****th**** Division Arsenal and Vehicle Park**

Specialist David Johnson watched as the ordnance crew opened box after of box of 40x364mm ammunition and manhandled the rounds into a clip for the Ericon Controlaves GDC-B 40mm AS Rifle sitting into the back of a truck. After twenty rounds of mixed armor piercing incendiary and high explosive incendiary was pushed inside they moved to the next magazine and repeated the procedure. There were also ten round magazines of the 57x438mm shell used in the Bofors ASG96-B 57mm smooth-bore gun that the team marksman in each Arm Slave unit used. Monomolecular cutters were loaded in heavy crates into the back of other trucks while canisters of shot for boxer shot cannons were loaded in the back of others.

David breathed out watching his breath condense in the air before him. Just months earlier he had participated in an assault on an Amalgam alongside a detachment from Mithril, now if the rumor going around the base as to the reason for the mobilization could be believed, they were off to face their old allies.

A heavy vehicle transport rolled out of the vehicle park laden down with a pair of M6A4 Bushnells and their accompanying armament. Each Arm Slave was crouched on the flat bed and tied down.

David swallowed as he watched them rumble past. "Specialist!" A man yelled and David glanced at one of the armament officers. "Johnson, what the hell is going on? We've been told to get every unit that is combat capable out of storage. I know we have more pilots than AS's but this is nuts."

"Hell if I know, the rumor mill is saying something crazy about a Mithril base." He shook his head as a Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle rolled past followed by three more. "Whatever is going on it, is sure is FUBAR."

"No shit, I've been freezing my balls off getting this gear loaded. They're telling us to load five days' worth of war-shots. You know no unit used a full day's worth during the gulf, what the fuck are we going to do with five times that amount. It's all white on the rails too, no practice rounds at all." He shook his head. "I haven't seen that much 40mm Bofors ammunition before in my life."

"I think the Navy has more, hard to believe we're using a naval gun as a rifle on these things. I tell you, I still can't believe we've got Arm Slaves, I remember growing up and watching cartoons, you'd swear this stuff would never exist." David shook his head as the wind blew around them picking up snow as it went. "Did they issue more fuel then normal? Everything eats gas in cold like this."

"Hell yes specialist, we've got a whole damn company of fuel tankers. The few Abrams we've got are also being fueled. You're lucky the Bushnell and Abrams are both gas turbines." He shook his head. "We were told to ready for a thousand kilometer march, so we've loaded enough fuel for two or three."

"Thank god, maybe this thing isn't that FUBAR. I really hope the rumor about a Mithril base is bull. I don't want to think about going up against those fuckers. They've got the Gernsback and have been using it in the field for three years now, plus ECS on fucking everything. You'd swear they were funded by a fucking superpower or something." David pulled a cigarette from his chest pocket and lit it. As he took a long pull he was grateful for the meager heat the small point of flame provided. "They're damn well trained too, bastards could run the NTC."

"You think we'd lose?" The ordnance officer asked.

"Fuck no! It'll just be damn bloody."

* * *

><p><strong>24 March 2000, 12:47 hrs.<strong>

**Hunter Army Airfield, State of Georgia, United States**

**Maintenance Hangar of the 3****rd**** Battalion, 160****th**** Special Operations Aviation Regiment**

"Come on you maggots, let's get a move on. If rangers lead the way I want to see you dragging that damn helicopter! Come on!" The distinct bark of a platoon sergeant echoed in the hangar as the four pilots of the 160th SOAR watched the men of 1st battalion of the 75th ranger regiment lend their 'assistance' to the act of loading the two AH-6J Little Birds into the waiting and gaping mouth of the C-17 Globemaster that sat out on the tarmac just outside the hangar.

"Should we mention to them that there are wheels on the rails?" Lieutenant John Elliot joked as he watched the rangers nearly sixteen hundred pound helicopter finally begin to roll out the hangar with its sound dampening five bladed rotor curled pulled back over the tail boom. Dozens of small electronic pieces jotted out from the craft, the trademark sign of ECS systems.

"Nah, I think they finally figured it out, they're rangers not marines." Warrant Officer Curt Saxton answered from beside him. "God, I'm glad we're not working with them this time. Delta Ops tend to go smooth as silk comparatively."

"Unless they're working with the Rangers, then it's too big to go right." The Lieutenant observed as he started to trudge toward the cargo aircraft that was swallowing their choppers. "Japan though, I got to say that's irregular for a place to go."

"I know, maybe they got another terrorist group with Arm Slaves. You remember the big ass fight there was there a year ago, and then the A-21 incident the year before that." The Warrant Officer shrugged. "Not that we could do much to stop an AS except fire off all our rockets and pray."

"And hope it's not a third generation AS that can jump over our head while taking pot shots at us." The Lieutenant shook his head. "Damn I'm starting to sound morbid." A grin slipped across his face as he saw the eight Delta Force Operators sitting in the cargo plane. "At least our cargo is here."

Each Delta Force operator war a set of the new experimental digital camouflage pattern along with a set of knee pads and arm pads that looked more like what one would see on a skater. This was topped off with a black Kevlar helmet that looked more like a bicycle helmet then the K-pots that the normal army and marine jocks wore.

There were reasons for all that though. In combat you can drop to your knees into a sniper stance to line up a shot, hence the knee pads, and the K-pot while offering greater protection dampened hearing somewhat compared to these helmets.

There were no ranks spoken by the Delta Force operators, this was in part due to the plethora of sources from which they were drawn. The best of the Rangers, Seals, Green Berets, Force Recon, and CIA Field Operatives landed here. They were professionals, the best of the best.

Their leader was simply known as boss, or boss man. Since there were eight that meant there were two teams, two bosses and the senior had overall command. This man stood at the pilots approached and handed over a clipboard. "Bit of a strange tasking."

The Lieutenant blinked as he looked down at the clipboard and the picture clipped to the front of the documents that showed a young Japanese woman with dark black hair that shimmered slightly from the camera flash with a hint of blue. A perplexed expression passed over his face.

"A bit pretty for a terrorist isn't she." The boss stated. "We're on a snatch and grab, and that's the target."

The Lieutenant pursed his lips as he sounded out the name. "Kaname… Chidori?"

* * *

><p><strong>24 March 2000, 13:05 hrs.<strong>

**Chesapeake Regional Airport, State of Virginia, United States**

**General Aviation Hangar 12-C**

Tessa crinkled her nose as she stepped inside lugging her baggage. The acrid odor of ozone filled the hangar as the air before her shimmered once and the grey expanse of the Gulfstream G. IV jet appeared. It's forward hatch popped open and dropped to the tarmac revealing the stairs built into it.

Jerome Borda leaned against his cane as he walked slowly toward the aircraft. The Mithril pilot quickly took his baggage and tossed it inside before offering the older man a hand as he climbed inside.

Tessa glanced at the name tag on the pilot's lapel as she climbed inside. "Lieutenant Wilkins?"

"Yes ma'am?" He asked as she stepped out of the way for him to grab the hatch and secure it.

"Do you have family in America?"

The Lieutenant scowled as the hatch shut with a clack and glanced at the two passengers. "My wife and son live in Norfolk. Admiral, is there a danger to them?"

"That depends on how much you told them." Jerome Borda stated as he sat heavily in one of the chairs. "The United States is likely going to be moving against Mithril. If you want out, after this flight, I understand. I'll ensure you're not charged the early termination fees."

"Understood, sir." The pilot let out a relieved sigh. "We'll be making a non-stop flight to Las Vegas international. From there you should be able to catch a plane to wherever you need to go for your safety."

"Good, since their movement against us is trying to be hidden I don't anticipate any problems there, even if we're forced to use civil air lines." The Admiral said as she leaned back in his seat.

Tessa watched the pilot head to the cockpit and sat down opposite the Admiral. "If they're moving against Mithril…"

"I doubt we'll have the resources to rebuild the organization, we were rather dependent upon western companies for equipment." He let out a long sigh. "It also depends on whether the Alaskan base has been identified, if it is and they move militarily against it Mithril will effectively cease to exist afterward."

Tessa nodded slowly. "I see." Outside the engines began to whine to life and she glanced out the window. "I have become like Mithril it seems, nation-less."

"Yes, but then that gives us the ability to view the world without the lens of nationalistic pride. Nations have interests, not friendships. As such it is not surprising for America to be acting this way now." Admiral Borda let out a long sigh. "Our focus must remain on preserving what we can, protecting those we can." He tapped the computer display built into seat and studied the information that popped up. "I have been a military man for quite a while, after a time you learn to anticipate such things. It seems it's time for me to bring out my contingency plans for just such a scenario."

* * *

><p><strong>24 March 2000, 10:01 hrs.<strong>

**Elmendorf Air Force Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Base Convocation Center**

"Good morning." The base commander coughed once after he spoke and swallowed audibly. Bad news had come in mere moments before he'd walked to the podium. Word of the impending operation had spread throughout the pentagon. Those that had grown close to Mithril were up in arms, and one man in particular Thomas L. Tinsley had gone beyond protests and shot himself rather than issue the orders.

But the orders were issued.

Behind him Lieutenant Colonel Tod D. Wolters glanced at the Brigadier General. As commander of the 19th Fighter Squadron he would be in the lead wave of the attack engaging the Mithril Fighters that were sure to scramble. Intelligence said they only have Av-8b Harriers and XF-32 Joint Strike Fighter prototypes for air defense, but then intelligence didn't even know the base existed twenty-four hours prior. He was worried. Av-8b's lacked radars so their ranged potential was negligible, but the same could not be said for XF-32 prototypes. Moreover, rumors said that the Super Harrier Plus upgrade that Mithril installed in their craft included ECS and radar systems. Just how dangerous this engagement would be was totally up in the air.

"At approximately 08:30 hours this morning, the President signed an executive order instructing the department of defense, department of justice, pentagon, FBI, NSA, and CIA that all available methods were to be used to eliminate the freelance mercenary organization known as Mithril because it represents a clear and present danger to United States interests. At approximately 04:00 hours this morning actionable intelligence was received that a large scale Air Base belonging to Mithril was located in the State of Alaska. As a result units of the United States Army Alaska are moving to maximum readiness and being deployed as we speak to jump off positions for operations against this base."

He cleared his throat once more. "The personnel of Elmendorf Air Base will support these operations with the carrying out of air strikes against the air base and the elimination of local Mithril air assets. The objective is to secure as much of the air base as possible intact, but Mithril's capabilities may make a certain level of destruction all but impossible to prevent."

Already whispers were washing over the crowd of pilots, RIOs, and other personnel. The room was tense as each person knew they were facing a serious engagement in the coming hours. This wasn't some third rate power with twenty year old equipment and marginal training, this was a professional army with the most advanced equipment in the world they were facing. They were scared.

Not one of their commanders could blame them.

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 04:42 hrs.<strong>

**Yokatsu, Uruma, Okinawa**

**Yokatsu Dockside Warehouse**

"Finally!" Sarah said as the transfer finished from the AI core to the portable unit. "Al, can you hear me?"

"Affirmative, I feel much lighter now and I noticed a point five percent increase in processing speed after the transfer."

"Are you… you?" Sarah asked, uncertainty if the AI's personality would remain the same had worried her throughout the transfer. Now that it was done it would be best to check, wouldn't it?

"I am me, thus far I have noticed no change in my personality algorithms though with the Heisenberg uncertainty principal I doubt my personality will remain totally identical, this is not worrisome however since people change and grow over time. Is this not correct Miss Miller?" Al stated.

Sarah smiled. "Yes Al, that's correct. You're coming with me now." She picked up the case and adjusted it unsteadily for a moment.

"Please don't drop me." Al muttered.

Melissa Mao slept with an M16 rifle in her arms at the end of the truck bed while Kurz stood watch beside her. Glancing back at Sarah he smiled. "Finally done?"

"Yes Sergeant, I'll be taking Closeau and Al back to the Alaska base now if you'd be kind enough to help." Sarah said.

"Just one moment." He kicked Melissa in the shin and grinned. "Hey beautiful we've got to take the princess back to the airport."

Mao cursed and threw a loaded magazine into Kurz's head before her eyes had finished opening.

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 06:00 hrs.<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 404, Mansion **K **Apartments**

"Que… Kana-chan get up, or you'll be late."

Sousuke opened his eyes to the sound of the alarm clock and glanced at Kaname's face lying mere centimeters from his own. Instantly he felt himself flush and beads of sweat began to roll down his temple.

He watched her eyes move under the eyelids for a moment before she opened them a crack, a lost and confused expression on her face for a split second before her eyes met his. Immediately she blushed brightly and sighed. "Sousuke? Is something wrong?"

His sweating came to a stop and he sighed. "No Kaname." He tried to smile reassuringly at her as she scooted closer in her striped pajamas and leaned forward and pursed her lips. He stared at her pursed lips for a moment before realizing what she wanted then leaned over to kiss her.

She sighed happily as their lips met. Both were stunned by the plethora of feelings such a simple act brought to the both of them and Sousuke ran a hand through her hair affectionately. With a sigh she broke for air and grinned at him. "Good morning."

"Good morning." Sousuke repeated as she stared into his eyes and leaned against the pillow.

"Is it okay if I don't want to get up?" Kaname asked as she glanced at the alarm clock.

"Affirmative." Sousuke sighed. "There is no school until the term begins again in April."

Kaname smirked slightly. "Three weeks… whatever will we do?" She nuzzled up against him and smiled.

"I do not know. I'm unfamiliar with the concept of a vacation." The tiniest hint of a smile alerted Kaname to something unexpected.

Sousuke was joking.

_Perhaps Al is rubbing off on me._ He thought as Kaname stared at him for a long moment then snorted.

"Was that a joke?" Kaname asked as she grinned at him.

"Affirmative." Sousuke said as he leaned against her.

"I still say we need to educate you on that subject." Kaname said quietly.

Sousuke stiffened as he caught a glint of light of a scope from across the way. Scowling he shifted his gaze. _Damn, Wraith is back._

"Sousuke?" Kaname turned toward the window growled in irritation as she caught sight of the silhouette behind the air conditioning units of the Tiger Maison Apartment complex. "Wraith! God, can't she just leave me alone?"

"I guess not." Sousuke stated flatly.

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 07:59 hrs.<strong>

**Naha Airport, Naha, Okinawa**

**General Aviation Terminal**

Sarah Miller sighed as she took the last few steps onto the plane behind Clouseau. Behind them Kurz and Mao watched the hatch close and slowly relaxed. The team had dwindled down to just the two of them and their mission was accomplished.

"So they're headed back to Alaska then." Mao said with a shrug.

Kurz yawned. "Better them than us, I hate the cold, and I hate those bulky winter outfits women hide in when it's freezing. Can't they make winter clothing sexy somehow?"

Mao glanced at him and rolled her eyes not even deigning to answer him. She tapped on the roof of the car and Kurz slipped in behind the driver's seat. She sat beside him and sighed. "Fucking long day." She leaned back in the seat and yawned. "We've got a flight to grab in a couple hours to Sydney."

"Shit, maybe we can sleep on the plane." He yawned and glanced at Mel. "You're not pissed at me still?"

"Is your mouth open?" Mao asked and grinned at him.

"Come on! I mean seriously pissed, not your normal flirtatious smack me around pissed, but really pissed."

Melissa's smile disappeared and she sighed. "Fucking A. I thought you were dead, you know how much that fucking hurts? I don't know how the fuck Kaname or Tessa don't gone insane with how often Sousuke pulls the nearly died bit. Jesus Kurz!"

Kurz's normal sarcastic expression turned somber and he leaned over the steering wheel tiredly. "You know I didn't mean to hurt you, I didn't plan on getting shot or bleeding out in Russia. I thought I was really done for. Then I woke up with a bunch of fucking Russians putting away surgical instruments and thought. Fuck, now the KGB is going to grill my fucking ass about Mithril. I didn't think the fuckers would help us. I was worried you didn't make it out, that was one fucked up op."

"Shit, tell me about it." Melissa sighed. "I know you didn't plan on it. Who the fuck would? But I guess I'm still a bit pissed about it. Should have taken it out on that Sabine bitch, that fucker starts laughing about launching nukes until she faints. Glad that fucker bled out." She took a long pull on her cigarette. "And this next gig we got… I, fucking, am not looking forward to it."

"What the hell is the job going to be Melissa?" Kurz asked.

Melissa sighed. "Tessa wants us to go to Merida Island and make sure the TDD-1 is unrecoverable."

"Are you shitting me? What the hell is the radiation level on that island now?" Kurz scowled. "I suppose Sousuke got off looking normal, he didn't grow two heads while we weren't looking did he?"

"Fuck, radiation doesn't do that shit." Melissa sighed. "I hope Mithril's health insurance is still good after this."

"No shit."

* * *

><p><strong>24 March 2000, 15:15 hrs.<strong>

**Las Vegas, State of Nevada, United States**

**McCarren International Airport, General Aviation Terminal**

Tessa walked alongside the Admiral her gaze drifting out onto the tarmac at the eight Boeing 737-200 aircraft that sat down the runway from where she walked. She could see the black SUVs of the PMC that provided security and that each aircraft lacked a serial number.

Anyone that had been a part of the black world of secrets that she had been knew what the planes represented. Known colloquially as the JANET terminal or Just Another Non-existent Airline, it was the primary means by which workers went to Groom Lake, also known as Area Fifty-One, or Dreamland.

In the context of being a whispered, the last nickname was a bit frightening. The unsettling feeling of floating and the dreamlike nature of a trance when the whispers took hold made it so that Tessa could not help but associate the place with whispered research.

She hope the United States treated those under their care well, she hoped they were volunteers and not coerced into their work, but while Area Fifty-One was an open secret what actually was done there never seemed to come to light. Rumors said the YF-22 and YF-23 were undergoing testing there, that the F-117 and B-2 had been initially tested there and that the XM9 Gernsback prototypes were kept there as well.

Rumors seemed to be the tip of the iceberg in her mind as she stared at the aircraft.

"Tessa." The Admiral stated as he laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Uncle… I'm scared. I don't want to end up walking aboard one of those airliners, not if I have a choice." She said quietly and glanced up at him.

"I know, and you won't have too. As long as I live and breathe you won't have to."

* * *

><p><strong>24 March 2000, 15:30 hrs.<strong>

**Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Base Headquarters**

The general in charge let out a low growl as a combination of fury and insolence gripped him. He'd been a career officer in the United States Army, a decorated veteran that had left after the fiasco that had erupted at the end of Operation Desert Storm. The use of a nuclear weapon on Baghdad in retaliation for a half dozen or so poorly executed futile attempts to use chemical and biological agents against the invading troops.

Now that same army was on the move, and there was little wonder as to where it was headed. A mobilization was a tough thing to hide, especially when the two armies in question had friends and allies in the other. Phone calls had been made in the first few hours but those soon ended as the Americans somehow had managed to put a communication blackout over the base, satellite signals wouldn't go through and communications were limited to line of site and short wave radio.

Around the plotting table the senior staff of the base stood, their eyes fastened on the penciled in red and blue lines marking their defenses and the axis of advance.

The lead scientist on base swallowed and glanced at the general. "How long until Miss Miller returns to base?"

"Eight to twelve hours." The Lieutenant Colonel in charge of one of the two Av-8b Super Harrier II Plus squadrons stated. "That's around the time they'll reach their jump off positions."

The general glanced at the Lieutenant Colonel and nodded once. The man was formerly Royal Navy and had piloted Harrier jump jets in the Falklands, so he knew all the tricks for his crop of machines. "What do you think of our chances?"

"Depends, a lot of our men are former Royals or former US Marines, it's one of the few places that train jump jet pilots. We've got a few Russians but not many, they're probably eager to test their old foes in combat. The rest, aren't so much. We're looking at defections, refusing to combat, and that sort of thing is all in the cards. Some are livid though, good motive to combat. Betrayal is something soldiers don't take lightly." He tapped his pen on the table. "We've got two squadrons of harriers, one squadron of Boeing F-32C JSFs to go up against the whole damn United States 3rd Wing. That's mostly F-15C and Es, it'll be a bloody slaughter on both sides, and that's before we get to the attack helicopter components. They've got Ah-64s, mostly the new Apache Longbows and we've got RAH-66 Comanche's. It won't even be an even contest. The problem is the ground. They've probably got half the twenty-fifth division moving up that road. It's a light division but it's still a bloody division. We might be able to fend off their air force, and they can't posthole the runways and do anything to our capabilities, but if they roll tanks into the bloody hangar there's not a damn thing we can do about it."

"What about the M9s, surely they'll turn some of the balance of power toward our side?" One of the other officers stated.

"Maybe, but most of that lot is American trained. I don't know about you, but I'm not sure how many of you bloody yanks are willing to shoot at your countrymen?"

There was silence at that remark as most of the officers pondered that question. Then the Brit continued.

"Moreover, Mithril is a mercenary organization. When was the last time we got paid? Face it chaps, I'm not sure how many of our comrades in arms are going to line up for this fight. Some might just take their equipment and run, flee somewhere till it all cools down and they can sell their services to the next bidder. That ultimately is partly why I doubt we'll win this fight. They'll swamp us, and when they do the mercenaries that make up our average trooper will take their chances and desert or surrender."

The general in charge nodded once and leaned over the map. "You're quite right Lieutenant Colonel Albus Doran. This quite likely is Mithril's last battle as an independent army." He pursed his lips once and sighed. "So, let's make it one worth remembering… one that they'll recreate every week at the National Training Center and teach at West Point for centuries to come."

The American trained officers nodded one after another and the foreigners watched as the Americans bent over the maps and sent to work. Albus Doran watched and marveled as the Americans plotted the course for one last battle between English speaking armies.

Win or lose, this would be one hell of a fight.


	7. Chapter 5: Advance to Contact

**Sword and Shield**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5:<strong> Advance to Contact

* * *

><p><strong>Jump-off<strong> 1. _n._ The commencement of a race or of a planned military attack. 2._n. _A jumping contest at a horse show, especially a final or tie-breaking round.

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 09:45 hrs.<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 404, Mansion **K ** Apartments**

Sousuke leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes as the sound of the shower running filled the apartment. He cursed his exceptional hearing as the sound of Kaname's pajamas hitting the floor bounced around in his mind bringing forth images that made his face flush and sweat bead on his forehead.

Sighing slowly he turned on the television and flipped through the channels to that of an English speaking news program: CNN International. Being the daughter of a United Nations diplomat, it's presence on her channel listing wasn't all that surprising.

"This is Elliot Garrot at the White House…"

Sousuke frowned as he stared at the screen, this wasn't the regular programming for the hour and he watched the crawl as the anchor, Wolf Blitzer turned toward a pair of panelists. "A continuous meeting of the joint chiefs at the white house, no meeting or word of any impending action from the United Nations, and our Anchorage affiliate KMGH in Alaska is showing a total mobilization of the twenty-fifth division based there, tanks, arm slaves, and trucks moving along a road to the north. What exactly is going on?"

Lou Dobbs slowly shook his head. "We saw this earlier this year shortly before the nuclear detonation on Merida Island, Wolf."

"He's right, throughout the last year we've seen military deployments surge across the board. We've seen footage of large scale combat taking place multiple times in the South Pacific including American military units and no official word from the white house." John King said as he responded. "We've repeatedly been stonewalled when questioned about it."

"I think what's most interesting is that the Soviets have not responded at all to this mobilization. I would have thought that a massive mobilization just across the Bering Strait from their border would at least deserve comment." Lou Dobbs shook his head.

Sousuke felt his stomach knot as he listened in. _A mobilization in Alaska, allusions to the war on Amalgam…_

"We're now going to Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon."

"Thanks Wolf." The gaunt face of the senior pentagon correspondent appeared on the screen wearing a confused expression. "Multiple sources within the Pentagon that wish to remain unnamed report that this operation is going against and I quote: 'The International Mercenary Organization known as Mithril'. I have to say they sounded rather distressed about it."

Sousuke's heart pounded in his chest as he watched the screen. _Mithril. They're attacking Mithril?_ He swallowed and the phone rang. Without looking he picked it up and lifted the receiver to his ear.

"Mushi mushi?" He asked quietly.

Mao's voice filled the line. "I take it you just heard."

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 09:48 hrs.<strong>

**Naha Airport, Naha, Okinawa**

**Passenger Terminal**

"This is bullshit!" Kurz yelled as he watched the television screen. Mao shook her head as she held her cell-phone to her ear.

"Affirmative." Sousuke's voice echoed in her ear and Mao sighed. "Has there been any word from command?"

"Not yet, if I had to guess Tessa and Admiral Borda are scrambling to get out of the country at the moment." Melissa ran a hand through her hair and stared at the screen. "What's worse is that Sarah Miller, Closeau, and Al are on their way to the Alaska base."

"Not good." Sousuke stated plainly.

"Just sit tight for now and keep an ear out. Not much either of us can do at the moment." Mao said as she glanced at Kurz cursing in his native German at the monitor.

"Understood, Uruz 7 out." With that Melissa closed the phone and sighed, leaning against her bag. "I hope they don't tell the Japanese to put us on a no fly list or something."

"Can you believe this?" Kurz asked as he pointed at the screen while a camera followed trucks and Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles down a snow covered road. "We save the fucking world and this is the thanks we get?"

Melissa scowled and her fingers itched with the need to hold a cigarette. "Tell me about it, God I hope Tessa and the Admiral are alright."

"You don't think they got caught over there, do you?" Kurz asked. "Those two are too smart for that."

"Probably not, but it doesn't mean I don't worry."

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 10:05 hrs.<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 404, Mansion K Apartments**

Kaname stepped out of the bathroom clad in a light blue spring dress and smiled as she saw Sousuke sitting on the couch, his eyes glued to the television. Warmth spread throughout her body as she stared at him. _He's home… he's back… and he's mine._

Then she saw the pale expression on his face and the worried set of his jaw, and her good mood shattered in an instant. "Sousuke?"

"Mao called." He ran a hand over his jaw and sighed. "After she heard the news…"

"What news?" Kaname asked.

"The United States… is launching an attack on the remains of Mithril." His hands turned to fists and he slammed them into the couch in frustration. "And there isn't a damn thing I can do about it."

"What?" Kaname gasped as she caught sight of the television screen and the lines of tanks and armored vehicles driving along a snow covered road. She felt unsteady and the room started to spin. Of all the potential enemies, the potential foes that could come after her, the one she had never considered was that of the United States.

"Kaname!" Sousuke scrambled from the couch and caught her as she stumbled.

"Why would they?" Her voice was quiet and she stared at the screen. "I lived in the US for years, they're not bad people. Why would they?"

"I don't know." Sousuke held her for the moment and glanced back at the television. "I don't understand it either much of Mithril's leadership is American. They have friends in their command structure."

Kaname nodded slowly. "We must be why."

"Kaname?"

"Think about it Sousuke, look at all the trouble just a couple whispered caused with Amalgam. We're a threat and Mithril is partly dedicated to protecting us." She shook her head and glanced down at the couch. "So in order to deal with us, they have to deal with Mithril."

Sousuke scowled and tightened his grip on her. "But the whispers stopped."

"For now, no one knows if it's permanent and they're not willing to risk taking a chance on that." Kaname sighed. "I understand politics all too well. It wasn't easy becoming the Vice President of the Student Council."

"We must be extra careful then." Sousuke ran a hand along her arm affectionately. "I won't let them lay a finger on you."

"Thank you." Kaname said and smiled.

* * *

><p><strong>24 March 2000, 15:33 hrs. (Aleutian time)<strong>

**Bering Strait, International Waters**

**Approximately 100 km from American Airspace**

The roar of the Tu-95 Bear's turboprops echoed in the cockpit as they leveled off over the Bering Strait. The plane was an ancient design with a lineage in its design that dated back to the Tupolev Tu-2, the Soviet copy of the B-29 Superfortress, the plane that dropped the bombs over Nagasaki and Hiroshima. A Tu-95 Bear had dropped the largest nuclear bomb ever tested long before the test ban treaties had been signed.

This one's bomb bay wasn't empty but instead of bombs huge drums of fuel lay within its hold.

In the back seats the crew sat over the dozens of instruments and displays watching the electronic chatter of the American army on the move. The mobilization was an opportunity for the soviets to watch, listen, and learn as the American military geared up for the operation, hence the bomber's presence at the edge of American airspace.

"Comrade Lieutenant, the Americans don't even seem to care that we're here. I've had radar hits from an E-3 Awacs for over an hour and nothing has shown up." The radar intercept officer reported from his post behind the pilot.

"An Il-76M will be on station in two more hours, so we'll have a complete radar record of what happens as well comrade. I bet they see this as a grand opportunity to learn. Nothing like this has happened before." The pilot adjusted his facemask as he checked the map on his knee and glanced out at the dark sky. "Those Mithril bastards are in for one hell of a fight. They bombed a facility back at base two years back. It's about time someone took them on."

"Da comrade, but I don't want to think about fighting them. They say they've got technology ten years in advanced of what even the Americans have. Their leaders must be mad." The radar intercept officer said.

"Maybe comrade, but Mithril isn't that big is it? The Americans are serious. Just ask the radio intercept officer how many transmitters he's picked up."

* * *

><p><strong>24 March 2000, 17:03 hrs.<strong>

**Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Av-8b Harrier Squadron Dispersal Office**

Lieutenant Colonel Albus Doran watched the ordnance officer load equipment onto his AV8b Super Harrier II Plus. Mithril had spared no expense with ordnance purchasing the best weapon systems it could lay its hands on. On the outboard pylons AIM-132 ASRAAMs were mounted, and while the weapons lacked the off-bore-sight capability of the AA-11 Archer missile of the soviets or the AIM-9X Sidewinder that the Americans had just adopted, they had nearly double the range. Moving inboard from the tips a pair of hydra rocket pods each held seven rockets. Next were a pair of AIM-120C AMRAAM missiles identical to those that would be carried by the F-15s they were up against and finally the last two pylons held AGM-65 Maverick Missiles for use against the tanks they were certain were coming.

It was a multi-role multi-purpose load out that would enable them to swiftly switch from the air superiority to the close air support role without loading heavy ordnance like bombs that would hinder the planes in the close in dogfights. Choosing load outs for the harriers was an art form into itself with the different take off weights each mode of operation allowed. VTOL takeoffs needed a light load, and that had to be factored in incase the Americans chose to post hole the runway with bombs.

Behind him, the squadron pilots gathered, glancing at each other nervously. Whispered comments between them revealed their fear and worries: "I can't believe this is happening, the US?" "Bloody yanks, I never wanted to fight the damn Americans." "At least I'll be fighting in a harrier instead of the damn Yak I was trained on." "Damn, I probably flew against these guys in Red Flag, way back when."

"I know you have concerns about this operation. However, remember, we did not choose this fight but they chose to engage us. For most of our careers, we nation states we once swore oaths to protect. We're on the defensive. We do not have the luxury of dropping our load in an empty field to assuage our conscience, they're attacking and once that first missile, that first bullet is loosed I expect each of you to do your job." The Lt. Col. took a deep breath and glanced around the hangar. "Second flight, you're up on CAP in thirty minutes, third flight is on the scramble pad and headquarters flight will sortie after you. Keep your wing-mate close and remember to use the ECS. America has ECCS but it's doubtful that the equipment has filtered down to line units like what we're facing. It'll keep you off radar and definitely save your ass when we're in visual range. I'll get you all a pint of bitter when this is over, so good luck and come home."

* * *

><p><strong>24 March 2000, 17:39 hrs.<strong>

**300 km north-west of Anchorage, State of Alaska, United States**

**5****th**** Squadron, 1****st**** Cavalry Regiment, 1****st**** Brigade Combat Team, 25****th**** Infantry Division**

Specialist David Johnson rubbed his hands together as he rode in the cab of a vehicle transport. Ahead, truck after truck lined the road loaded down with arm slaves, tanks, and other vehicles. Beside him, the lance corporal that drove the truck swore as a Humvee marked with a set of stars sped by alongside the road.

"There went the fucking general!" He shook his head and glanced at David. "Can you believe this shit, I was at NTC last time I saw shit like this, and that's cause that place is always at fucking war." He chewed gum as he spoke and sighed. "Guns, ASes, and more god damn ground pounders then I've seen in my damn life on this road, and its crappy conditions to boot."

"Fighting fucking Mithril, this is going to be one fucking huge mess." David sighed as he glanced out the rear at his assigned Arm Slave. "I'm going to need a fucking drink after this is over."

"Amen to that brother." The lance corporal said as he saw a camera crew alongside the road. "Look, we're on the news."

"Oh fuck." David said as he watched the camera pass by. "They've got to know we're coming now."

"David, man, calm down. You get in that thing with the case of the shakes and you'll miss every target. You still got the bilateral at three-point-five? How the fuck do you move without kicking yourself in your face with a setup right that?"

"Little steps." David said. "They're given us the full load out too, managed to convince them to equip a boxer. If those people have choppers, I want to give them a face full of buckshot. Turn it into a bird hunt."

"Shit, man, that oversized shotgun? You could probably take out a tank with that." The corporal shook his head and glanced out the back. "You got full appliqué and ERA on it too? Doesn't that slow you down?"

"Hell yes, but the damn M9s they got are agile fuckers. At least armored up I might survive a hit or two." David shook his head. "Third gen arm slaves, damn I wish we had a couple of those XM9s for this."

"That's the shit, hell even the Special Forces boys don't have those yet. Guess nobody thought we'd fight anything but a Savage for the next couple years." The lance corporal shrugged. "Hell these Mithril guys have got ECS. They might be watching us right now."

"Fuck!" David said.

"No shit, we're in for some fight at the end of this damn road." The lance corporal shrugged and glanced back at the Arm Slave in back. "You just get back in one piece. I don't feel like training up some other jerk-ass as my partner in crime."

"I'll do it, even if it'll be damn hard." David answered. "Fuck Benny, you've taken great care of my crate since I got here."

"Damn right, she's my baby. You'd better bring her back! I don't want to deal with breaking in a new one either."

* * *

><p><strong>24 March 2000, 22:09 hrs.<strong>

**Washington, District of Columbia, United States**

**White House Situation Room**

General John A. Gordon glanced at his watch as he leaned back in a chair in the situation room. A live satellite feed dominated the left side of the room showing a flight of four Av8b Harriers rolling down the runway. Around the edge of the field, warm bodies showed brightly in the infrared as squads of men dug impromptu defenses. A Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle dug into the ground alongside each squad and six M9 Gernsbacks sat just outside of one hangar. Personnel scurried over each unit as armaments were driven out of the hangar and issued to each of the individual units.

"They know we're coming." Sandy observed as he watched the screen. "Not that it's a surprise at all."

The General nodded. "We were never going to achieve surprise going against Mithril. Though I am surprised, their name slipped into then news so quickly. The press secretary is going to take hell next time he's in front of the camera." He shrugged. "Then again, that's his job."

"How long till they're at their jump-off?" Sandy asked as he glanced at the other wall where feeds from dozens of command centers and units appeared.

"Five hours about. The Russians are scrambling everything they can to watch this." Gordon shrugged. "I need some coffee, strong coffee."

"You're not worried about that?"

"I am, but we don't have the resources to keep them away and engage Mithril at the same time." Gordon sighed. "Plus we might want to ask for a copy of the information… this is going to be rough."

"I know, I'm not sure the president knows just how rough it could get. I showed him the casualty estimate, but it is just a wild ass guess. So much depends on how they're equipped. Do they have ECS, are the harriers radar equipped or not, will their troops stand and fight or run away?" Sandy shook his head. "We've never even war-gamed fighting an adversary that is that far ahead of us technologically. Most of the projections are based on fighting the OPFOR at the NTC."

Gordon stopped and frowned. "You know simulated casualties always exceed actual ones by like a factor of forty or fifty to one?"

"I know, but the projections say we could have a thousand casualties or more." He shook his head. "The American people do not like to have coffins come home."

General Gordon sighed. "Then it's a good thing the President isn't running for reelection."

* * *

><p><strong>24 March 2000, 21:51 hrs.<strong>

**Elmendorf Air Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**19****th**** Fighter Squadron, 3****rd**** Wing, 11****th**** Air Force**

Lt. Colonel Tod D. Wolters stood in front of his squadron's pilots. Outside the small building that served as the squadron's dispersal, center the dozens of servicemen swarmed over the twelve F-15C Eagles readying them for combat. AIM-120 AMRAAMs and AIM-9X Sidewinders were loaded and fuel tanks topped off.

"Our mission will be BARCAP. We are to seize control of the airspace over the objective and hold it against all opposition. Intelligence has no indication of SAMs beside the handheld variety being present near the objective. Opposition will compose of Av8b Super Harriers and XF-35 Joint Strike Fighters. It is currently unknown if the Super Harriers are radar equipped or not. Since this is Mithril its possible all hostiles are ECS equipped. We may also suffer opposition from RAH-66 Comanche's equipped with stingers and other air-to-air missiles. Average flight time from takeoff to contact is expected to be no more than one hour."

The pilots nodded one after another-remembering field exercises they had participated in against the Marines and the difficulty of engaging harriers. Still, the colonel decided to stress the point.

"The aircraft the enemy is using are amongst the most maneuverable craft in the world. Thanks to the thrust vectoring technology used in both craft, they can be on your ass inside of one turn. Do not continue to engage if you find yourself in a turning fight. Throttle up and get out of the circle then circle around and come back. We have a speed advantage and if the harriers are not radar equipped, we will have a range advantage. Mithril uses mostly American technology so you can use your experiences against the marines in exercises as a point of reference. However ECS changes the game considerably. Watch your wingman's ass and keep it clear. ECS is good against radar and visual but isn't that effective against infrared, so listen to your sidewinders tone, they may seem someone you don't. Wheels up will be in four hours."

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 23:55 hrs.<strong>

**Pacific Ocean**

**Qantas Flight 1028**

Tessa let out a sigh of relief as glanced out the window at the black night. The plane was crowded, but the two of them seemed to be just another pair of passengers, the FBI hadn't put images out of them for everyone to see, at least not yet.

"Uncle Jerry." She said. "What now?"

"As I said, I had contingency plans in place. We will have to fall back onto those plans." He leaned back and glanced at the inflight movie playing on the monitors. "Much depends on whether America chooses to pursue us after this."

Tessa nodded slowly. "What will happen after the battle? It will be quite tough on the Americans. What about all those people on the base?"

"That depends on how the Americans react to the bloody nose they're likely to receive." Jerome sighed. "As for the people on the base…" He sighed. "Those that surrender will likely be treated well, and if the American command reacts how I believe it will they may be offered a job as advisers to their victorious foes. Showing their skills is likely to be the thing that saves them, at a cost in American lives. How many Germans did we interview after the Second World War? How many German officers found themselves teaching tank warfare to the victorious Russians? Both sides are professionals, and will acknowledge and respect the other. There will be casualties, but if they were just arrested in mass their futures would be bleaker."

Tessa slowly nodded. "I am worried about Sarah though."

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 01:10 hrs.<strong>

**3 km west of the Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Gulfstream G. IV Number Thirteen**

Closeau had slept like a baby throughout the flight while Sarah had whisked Al back into the rearmost sections of the cabin and had chatted with the AI for hours.

"I can't believe you actually activated the Lambda Driver by yourself, let alone saved Sergeant Sagara from those nuclear warheads." Sarah grinned. "I'll have to see about fitting you with your own Lambda Driver in the ARX-9."

"I was told that would be unlikely, Mithril is in shambles and there isn't much left of the organization to produce such a vehicle." Al's laconic voice irritated Sousuke but Sarah liked the measured tone. It helped her focus.

"Maybe, then I'll put you in my car next time!" She laughed as she glanced out the window and sighed. "I'm going to sleep for days after this."

"I certainly hope not, such an extended rest would require you to be almost comatose." Al stated blandly.

The plane jerked as it touched down and she sighed. "Back again, better grab the winter coat and everything. It's really cold." She picked up her fur lined artic coat and pulled it on followed by a heavy muffler and thick wool mittens. As she was finishing the door opened and the pilot swallowed once as he glanced outside. "Uh, Miss Miller?"

"What is it?" She asked as she ran forward with Al. "Did some—"

Two armed guards stood beside the door waiting for her along with the general in charge. She swallowed and glanced around. "General?"

"Miss Miller, I'm afraid you've come at a bad time, these two gentlemen will escort you to the emergency bunker. I must ask you to stay there until the crisis has ended."

Sarah blinked. "What's going on?"

"The Americans are going to attack in the next few hours." He stated grimly. "Please go with them, it's for your own safety."

Sarah wilted and glanced down at the snow on the tarmac. _Damn it all!_

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 01:30 hrs.<strong>

**50 km south of the Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**5****th**** Squadron, 1****st**** Cavalry Regiment, 1****st**** Brigade Combat Team, 25****th**** Infantry Division**

"Alright listen up! 1st Cavalry!" The Major paced in front of the formation. He wore a scowl that made each man cringe as his gaze passed over them.

"Our mission is to secure the flanks of the advance. The terrain up to the airfield itself is too rough for conventional vehicles to easily pass, so it falls to you Arm Slave drivers. Infantry will deploy to support you from the Bradleys on the road once you are engaged, but you should not become dependent on their assistance. Keep in mind that you're facing some of the best AS pilots in the world, so don't take chances. Keep your heads and watch your teammates. Hostiles are estimated at being less than platoon strength in terms of ASes, and only perhaps around two or three companies of infantry. Mithril likes to specialize in air warfare and precision strikes with elite teams, and that, is their weakness. Faced by a combined arms onslaught they will crumble. So saddle up and kick ass, your team leads have your individual assignments. That is all."

Specialist David Johnson nodded once as he walked to his Arm Slave and nodded to Benny. "Here we go."

"Fuck yeah." The man said. "Take care out there."

He nodded and picked up the helmet, pulling it down over his head quickly. "I'll bring you back the scalps."

"Go on, get. You'll make me all morbid if you stick around." The man gestured to the Arm Slave.

"I'm going." He clambered up the handholds and slid into the cockpit. After a moment, the hatch closed around him and the display flickered to life.

"Confirm Identification."

"Specialist David Johnson, J-9134B."

"Acknowledge, gas-turbine initiating, bilateral angle set at 3.5, master mode 6 engaged, tactical data-link received. Master suit adjustment complete, movement release in ten seconds."

David slipped his arms through the drive systems and checked his legs making sure the system was fully linked then relaxed.

"David, we've got forward guard. You insist on bringing along that boxer?" His team leader, Captain George Ahlers asked through the communication system.

"I did sir." He sighed. "Ice Dragoon Nine ready."

"Alright Ice Dragoons, we've got a bunch of dwarves to beat to a pulp." One of the men joked across the radio. It had to be Jennings. He was the sort to know where the damn name came from.

"Secure comms, patch into the local company radio net for coordination."

David stood, feeling his body move up as the mech stood, an Arm Slave pilot was subjected to the sort of G-forces that a fighter pilot would endure but in wildly different directions, running, falling, jumping… all resulted in significant g-loads on the pilot.

He swallowed and chambered a round in the Otto/Melala "Boxer" shot cannon as he finished the last pre-combat checks.

"All units this is command. Advance to contact. Artic Wolves forward!"

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 20:30 hrs.<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Apartment 404, Mansion **K **Apartments**

Sousuke leaned against the balcony rail and stared off into distance as a rumble of thunder washed over him. Inside the apartment was dark save for the light of the television set, still tuned to CNN International. Correspondents had been dispatched but had yet to arrive, and the news organization had been digging hard to find out what this mercenary group called Mithril actually was. Now that the questions were being asked about the organization in the open he felt strange. At some level he was relieved that the veil of secrecy had fallen and he could tell his friends something about the group.

On another front it felt like having the skeletons in his closet brought out before an unsympathetic crowd. Kaname had said the Americans would try to spin them into the villains, and she was right. Little reference to the good work the organization had done was made known, but word of the technology they possessed was slowly being leaked. The companies that had sold them the planes, tanks, arm slaves, and other weapons of war were desperately trying to defend their actions.

And no word had come from Alaska. He could feel it though, a sense of a battle just over the horizon about to be joined. Across at the Tiger Maison apartments he saw Wraith hunched behind an air conditioning unit.

_I wonder if she knows. To quote Lieutenant Mao, this sucks. It really fucking sucks._

"Sousuke?" Kaname stood at the doorway already clad in her pajamas.

"It's about to start." He said quietly.

"I know."

"There's nothing I can do."

"I know."

"I hate this."

Kaname squeezed his shoulder and pulled him away from the balcony. "Come inside, you'll catch cold out here."

"Alright." Sousuke sighed and let him pull her through the door. He knew sleep wouldn't come, not till word of the battle's end arrived.

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 02:36 hrs.<strong>

**50 km south of the Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**19****th**** Fighter Squadron, 3****rd**** Wing, 11****th**** Air Force**

The aurora borealis danced overhead, lighting up the night and exposing the sun caped peaks that jutted up through the cloud layer. Lt. Colonel Tod D. Wolters watched the display through the clear glass of his cockpit canopy and glanced down at the display between his knees that registered the

"Eagle Eye to squadron leader: be advised we have no hostiles on our scope. Enemy is likely under ECS over."

"Acknowledged Eagle Eye." Lt. Colonel Tod D. Wolters pulled the visor over his eyes and scowled as he adjusted the night vision scope. "Squadron, we're going in dark. Hostiles are under ECS and bogey dope has nothing. Be prepared for close contact."

"Acknowledged lead."

Wolters frowned as he looked down over the Alaskan landscape and saw the tail of the twenty-fifth division sneaking through the mountains along a single road. In the distance, the dull grey of the tarmac appeared and he could see tanks and artillery beginning the advance. His eyes continued scanning the area searching for opposition.

"Bandits, six o'clock low!" His wing-mate yelled.

Then his threat-warning receiver blared a warning. "Missile Inbound, drop flares!"

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 02:37 hrs.<strong>

**40 km south of the Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Valkyrie Squadron, Mithril Base – Alaska Air Defense Detachment**

"Fox two!" Albus Doran echoed in his radio as he looked through the heads up display mounted to his hud and watched the AIM-132 ASRAAM roar off into the night. Flares lit up the darkness as the American formation came apart, stunned by the sudden attack from the six o'clock low position. A flash lit up the night and a fireball followed suite as the F-15C Eagle that had appeared in his sights spun down flaming.

"Splash one." He called out.

"Valkyrie three, Fox two!" Another pilot called out before the radio was filled with voices as his whole unit opened up.

"Guns!" Another voice called before bright yellow tracers lit up the night as one of the pilots let loose with the GAU-12 cannon slung under the belly of the Av-8b. One of the F-15Cs burst into flame as the airframe was perforated by the sudden barrage of 25mm projectiles.

The other hostiles lit their afterburners and stood on their tails climbing and looping, a high thrust and high G maneuver that the slower and heavier Harriers couldn't hope to match.

Shaking his head Albus rolled the plane and hit the ECS systems. Instantly the craft disappeared from radar and eyes as he lowered the nose and pointed toward the convoy. With a flick of his thumb he switched to Hydra rockets.

The rough skirmish line the American troops advanced in suddenly was rained upon by fourteen high explosive rockets as he let loose a salvo. Gritting his teeth he punched the thrust vector to fifty degrees and yanked up on the stick pulling the heavy fighter out just bare meters above the Americans. Tracers lit up the sky behind him as the soldiers on the ground tried to beat down the invisible attacker.

"Nice one lead." Valkyrie two called out, her Russian accent echoing through the radio waves. He glanced over his shoulder and the helmet mounted display highlighted her position, directly slotted in on his wing as if glued in place despite the both of them now running in ECS.

"Two is lead." He called out and barrel rolled letting her take point. "Lydia, after this we'll have to have a bottle."

"Make it vodka and I'll chew through the whole American air force for you." She led them in a tight turn as the F-15Cs circled above hunting for targets. "Range is eleven kilometers and dropping. I have tone."

Albus smiled to himself as the cool automatic radio calls from his wingmate washed over his ears. The woman could have worked as an instructor with her skills and innate calm.

"Fox two!"

A missile flashed from her invisible fighter and raced upward to smash into an F-15 that broke into a wide turn leaving a string of flares in its wake.

"Da!" The sudden cry made Albus smile.

"Kill confirmed Lydia! That was your fifth? Congratulations"

"Da, and thank you." She pulled tight past a mountain face.

"Welcome, lead to Valkyries. Check in."

"We're all here sir!" One of the American voices called back. "Damn I think we got four or five of the Eagles."

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 02:38 hrs.<strong>

**10 km south of the Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Mannaz Company, Mithril Base – Alaska Ground Defense Detachment**

"Mannaz Five to command, have visual on twelve Bushnells in a screening pattern in the forest in front. The road is full of Bradleys and there is a platoon of Abrams at the lead." Sergeant Major Jessica York called out from her foxhole overlooking the main road. Beside her Specialist Robert Daniels knelt next to a TOW Launcher. "Range is now fifteen hundred."

Roberts scowled as he looked through the sites, his eye almost welded to the eyepiece with frost. Beside him Jessica flicked the safety to off on her M4 ACOG rifle and sighed.

"They better give the fire command soon." He muttered.

A dull whine rose behind them and Jessica glanced behind her, blinking through the night vision goggles she wore.

"Razgriz squadron in position." The radio whispered in her ear as she scowled at the sound. It was the familiar roar of a turbofan engine.

"Iwaz in position."

"Sigel in position." She crinkled her nose at the distinct smell of ozone and suddenly felt her eyes widen before dropping back and turning back to the front, a smile now on her face.

The radio fell silent for a moment.

"All units, commence operation. You are weapons free, I repeat weapons free."

Behind her a flight of four Harrier jump jets disengaged their ECS and appeared just behind the ridge. At once the group let loose with a volley of rockets that rained down upon the column of Infantry fighting vehicles. Seconds later the black shapes of eighteen RAH-66 Comanche's appeared behind the formation, spewing cannon fire and volleys of Hellfire missiles that immolated rearmost elements. An M6 Bushnell burst into flame as a Hellfire slammed down into its head and detonated. M9 Gernsbacks shimmered into existence at the ridgeline and opened fire filling the valley before them with 40mm and 57mm cannon rounds. Air-bursting shells from a Boxer shot cannon tore amongst the infantry as they scrambled out of their vehicles to deploy and engage.

"Fuck me." Daniel stated before glancing back through the eyepiece and pulling the trigger on his tow. Concentrating he guided the flare of the missile into the gun mantlet of an Abrams tank. The blast echoed across the valley as he ejected the spent tube and picked up his M4 ACOG and lifted it to his shoulder.

"Now that is what I'm talking about!" Jessica called out.

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 06:39 hrs.<strong>

**Washington, District of Columbia, United States**

**White House Situation Room**

Sandy folded his hands and leaned over the desk watching the display as the first flash of gunfire lanced between the two forces. The Joint Chiefs stood watching as the engagement advanced and a single word was muttered throughout the room to describe what had happened.

"Contact."


	8. Chapter 6: A Fight to Remember

**Sword and Shield**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6:<strong> A Fight to Remember

* * *

><p><strong>Contact<strong> 1. _n._ The act of touching physically. 2. _n._ The establishment of communication (with). 3. _n. _A nodule designed to connect a device with something else. 4. _n. _Someone with whom one is in communication. 5. _n. _(informal) A contact lens.6. _n. _(electricity) a device designed for repetitive connections. 7. _v._ (military) to engage the enemy.

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 02:40 hrs.<strong>

**11 km south of the Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**5****th**** Squadron, 1****st**** Cavalry Regiment, 1****st**** Brigade Combat Team, 25****th**** Infantry Division**

David Johnson swore as he saw the lead of the column brew up from missiles and Arm Slave rounds. One of the Bushnells in his combat team toppled forward, hydraulic fluid rolling down its frame like blood while the pilot swore through the comm system.

"Ice Dragoon Five, condition red… my AS is non-functional! Fuck!"

"Return fire, contacts front and rear! Comanches on our ass!" The unit leader barked and David spun his AS on its heel lifting the boxer shot cannon just as an RAH-66 flashed overhead, its cannon ripping through the Bradleys that made up the column. Partly on instinct he jerked and fired.

Six pieces of AS scaled buckshot pierced the craft, smashing the tail rotor. The canopy shattered and the chopper spun spewing black smoke from a wounded engine. Then the craft smashed into the woods, its rotor blades cleaving through trees before ripping themselves apart as the fuselage rolled and swung them into the ground.

"God they're everywhere!" Another pilot called out as more Comanches screamed overhead volley firing Hellfire missiles and letting loose with their twenty millimeter cannon.

David's AS shuddered as twenty millimeter rounds tore into the applique armor barely failing to penetrate. His head smashed against the chest piece that held him in place after an explosion tossed his AS and he sat dazed for a long moment.

"TOW launch! Three o'clock!" "Ice Dargoon Nine, report! Damn it, I think they got Nine." "Twelve is down, twelve is down!" "M9s at the ridgeline, Jesus it's like being on a firing line!" "Advance, leap frog, use the knocked out tracks for cover!"

David shook his head as he felt a trickle of blood run down his chin and snarled as he slowly picked his mech up off the ground. "Nine here, I'm okay, minimal damage."

"Roger, glad to have you back."

"Dragoons this is 16-6, cover our flanking movement!" The battalion commander ordered as the Bradleys began rolling off the road and into the woods.

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 02:41 hrs.<strong>

**30 km south-west of the Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**19****th**** Fighter Squadron, 3****rd**** Wing, 11****th**** Air Force**

Lt. Colonel Tod D. Wolters swore loudly as he rolled his craft dodging an ASRAAM that had seemed to appear out of thin air on his tail. Flares lit up the sky behind him as he pulled hard on the stick and the missile warning alarm finally fell silent.

"Rapier one to squadron, check in!" He called glancing to the north-east he could see the flash of light from the fight on the ground. Glancing at the chaff and flare dispenser indicator he let out another curse, nearly half of them were gone already.

"Four bought it, and I saw Nine take one in the engine." One of the pilots reported, anger coloring his voice.

"Seven and Eight are both down. They didn't even get a set of flares off. I didn't see any chutes either."

"Let's worry about that later, no way to spot one in the dark like this anyway." Wolters shook his head once again and glared through the night sky. "Wagon wheel over the combat zone, climb to angels fifteen. Let's try and draw them out."

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 02:42 hrs.<strong>

**20 km south of the Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Valkyrie Squadron, Mithril Base – Alaska Air Defense Detachment**

"Wagon wheel?" Albus Doran sighed as he watched the planes circle overhead, their contrails drawing an enormous circle in the sky. Sighing he glanced at Lydia Rasinov's Harrier, or where it would have been if it was visible.

"That's an old tactic." Her voice observed quietly. "A good one, but an old one, we try and engage and the next ones in the circle can bounce us."

"Yep, you'll make a good squad leader someday. Valkyries, shift to CAS. The Eagles don't want to play anymore." He glanced down at the flashes of light that marked the exchange of fire between the ground armies and Mithril's attack helicopters. Through the night vision goggles he could make out the rough shape of tanks rolling through the snow as Arm Slaves scrambled through the forests on either side of the road. A huge blaze was burning where the lead elements had been pulverized by the initial ambush and barrage of fire. As they approached F-32Cs flashed past their ECS disengaged tempting the circling F-15s. Those units close to the ground had already expended most of their air to ground ordnance.

It was their turn.

"I have an Abrams…" Lydia called out as her harrier leveled off in an attack profile. "Rifle!"

An AGM-65 Maverick rocketed off the rail and shot down into the valley slamming into the top of the one hundred ton tank. A flash of fire marked its impact as the ammunition storage doors atop the turret blew off and spun through the air.

"Scratch one Abrams." He confirmed the strike as he followed close behind her. After a moment they were over the airbase and beginning a turn to come back around for another pass.

"Mannaz to Valkyries, the enemy is trying to deploy to the east, rolling off the road. Looks like Bradleys."

"Understood Mannaz." Albus glanced at his displays for a moment. "Valkyries, concentrate on the Bradleys to the east. We want to keep them bottled up."

"I have a target." Lydia called out after a moment then let loose with the second of her Mavericks. "Rifle!"

The missile flashed through the trees and exploded blocking out their vision from the flash. As they roared past black smoke began to rise from the impact point. "Bradley down." Albus stated. "One has lead."

"Roger." Lydia pulled her harrier into a barrel roll and dropped behind him letting him take point. "I'm out of Mavericks anyway."

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 02:44 hrs.<strong>

**10 km south of the Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Mannaz Company, Mithril Base – Alaska Ground Defense Detachment**

"Infantry in the open!" Jessica called out as she lifted her rifle to her shoulder and looked down the sights. Red tracers hissed between the advancing troops and her position. M6 Bushnells opened up and dropped back into the hole as metal splinters hissed through the air from a 40mm shell.

"You okay?" Daniel asked as he caught a glimpse of a metal splinter lodged in the side of her helmet.

"Yeah, why?" She asked as bullets cracked overhead.

Daniel tapped the back of his helmet and she reached up and felt the metal in understanding.

"FUCK!" The sergeant major yelled before ripping off her helmet and looking at the splinter. "Jesus fucking Christ!" She reached back to her head and checked her head then relaxed.

"Didn't penetrate?" Daniel asked as a ricochet buzzed overhead.

"Yeah." She picked the helmet back up and pulled it onto her head, tightening the straps. "Never thought a K-pot would save my life." She leapt back up to her feet and lifted the M4 ACOG to her shoulder.

An M2 Bradley crawled forward, smoke rising from the firing ports that perforated its hull as men huddled inside fired from the protection of the tank. Beyond it infantry stomped through the snow, clad in the white artic uniforms for the weather. The barrage of gunfire had felled dozens of trees that lay toppled and perforated. She sighted in on a trooper huddling behind a tree and fired.

Splinters shot from the tree as the man behind it slumped and yelled in pain. She dropped back into cover as bullets cut through the snow and red tracers hissed overhead. The electric whine of the M2 Bradley's turret turning as it searched for targets was audible even above the gun fire.

As she dropped back into cover Daniels popped up and let loose delivering a volley of fully automatic fire before dropping back into cover. He glanced over at her. "There's a pair of Bushnells, five hundred meters in the front. Plus that damn Bradley!"

"Never thought I'd want an RPG, but we sure as fuck could use one right now." She grumbled as she pulled out the radio and thumbed it on. "Sigel team, there's a Bradley one hundred meters from the line. Could one of you guys take it out!"

"Sigel Three, engaging!"

The crack of a fifty-seven millimeter cannon echoed across the valley before a shell exploded in the front of the Bradley. The tank skidded to a stop and the hatches opened as the men inside scrambled out coughing and sputtering.

Jessica stood and sighted on the vehicle commander as he dropped to the ground and fired, sending a round into his chest. With a groan the man dropped and she shifted her aim to the next closest foe.

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 02:48 hrs.<strong>

**9 km south of the Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Sigel Team, Mithril Base – Alaska Special Response Team**

Sergeant Mara Lesche ejected the expended magazine of her Bofors 57mm smooth-bore rifle and loaded her second magazine. Smoke rose from the battlefield but the night-vision and thermal optics of her mech's systems easily penetrated the gloom. Blankets of white smoke from tanks and IFVs composed of special particles that defeated thermal vision did obscure her vision of the battlefield.

"Sigel Three, nice shot. Engage those Bushnells next."

"On it Mannaz Five." Mara stated as she licked her lips and lined up the next shot. The boom and recoil of the rifle, deadened by the steel and ceramic hull of her arm slave still echoed in her head as she let loose another round smashing an M6 Bushnell. The targeting systems flickered for a moment as a cannon round exploded next door. Gritting her teeth she searched for the attacker on the display and swore as she saw a Bushnell kneeling beside a smashed Abrams tank with a rifle identical to her own. Letting out a slow breath she sighted in on the foe and squeezed the trigger.

The AS ducked down as the shell arched to meet him, escaping the blow as the round exploded futilely beyond. She cursed again. There was nearly one and a half kilometers between them. _That's nearly one and a half seconds for him to react to my fire when I'm using sabot._ "Fuck!"

She grimaced as his return shell exploded in front of her peppering pieces of rock against her mech. _Calm down, calm down! Send out two rounds this time._

Mara lined up the shot and pulled the trigger sending one round followed by a second as soon as she reacquired.

The first round flashed past and missed, but the Bushnell rose as soon as it hissed past to deliver his response just as the second shell reached him. The Bushnell was instantly enveloped in smoke and through the thermal imagery she could see it topple backwards as the hatch popped open. Seconds later the pilots scrambled out apparently unharmed.

Mara bit her lip and swallowed fighting the instinctive urge to finish him off. He'd fought well and wasn't a threat anymore. _Allah watch over you, honored foe._ She smirked at that thought and shifted her aim to the next target.

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 06:50 hrs.<strong>

**Washington, District of Columbia, United States**

**White House Situation Room**

Empty pizza boxes littered the room, sitting beside the console of each aide. Huge cups of coffee steamed from every hand as they watched the satellite imagery and overheard the commands from the unit commanders.

President Bill Clinton leaned his head against his palm, sweat beginning to bead on his forehead as he watched the satellite feed.

The Joint Chiefs stood watching the monitor, their eyes glued to the images. General Eric Shinseki looked away from the screens, his eyes downcast and face pale. General Michael E. Ryan leaned over the radar feed from the E-3 AWACS, his eyes narrowed in anger as he watched two more allied jets disappear from the display.

Secretary of Defense William Cohen scribbled notes on a legal pad, underlining something violently as he watched the satellite feeds. Despite the attack being within American borders, Secretary of State Madeline Albright stood in the back of the room watching, uncertain what else she could do. National Security Advisor "Sandy" Berger rubbed his jaw while he watched the feeds.

It wasn't going well. The lead elements had been smashed in an ambush and their scattered remnants were fighting furiously to hold their position against the enemy. Reinforcing columns were bogged down by the single road while Harriers struck almost every minute with Mavericks, rockets, and cannon fire. A unit of M167 Vulcans was rushing forward, their own twenty millimeter antiaircraft fire filling the green night vision images with streams of bright tracers. Still, only what could be seen could be engaged and as soon as a unit of hostiles was targeted they'd disappear demonstrating the utility of the ECS stealth systems.

It was like a night engagement when only the enemy had night vision goggles. The American troops simply hadn't been trained for such work and through the radio feeds of the orders the general recognized the tell-tale signs of improvisation under fire. Orders were given then rescinded. Soldiers ran from position to position firing in the darkness at where they thought their foes were while their commanders struggled to get a handle on what it was they were facing exactly.

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 02:55 hrs.<strong>

**11 km south of the Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**5****th**** Squadron, 1****st**** Cavalry Regiment, 1****st**** Brigade Combat Team, 25****th**** Infantry Division**

Specialist David Johnson swore as an M9 dropped from the sky, a monomolecular cutter clasped in his hand. Jerking in the harness he jumped back, throwing the M6 back away from the deadly knife and felt through his body the immense impact of the vehicle against the ground.

The Otto/Melala 'Boxer' shot cannon was still clasped in the mech's hands at least as he pushed himself upright against a tree. The M9 charged forward and David swore again, jerking the arm controls and pulling the trigger.

The ninety-millimeter bore spat fire and tore apart the lower half of the M9 that fell to the ground at his feet.

The radio crackled. "Good job kid, you got talent."

David blinked. The accent had a classic hint of the East coast, maybe Philadelphia or Boston.

"Could you do me a favor? I can't get out of this thing face down. Could you roll the corpse over?"

_You must be fucking kidding me!_ His mind screamed as he stared down at the defeated foe for a moment before glancing around for another threat. With a sigh he lowered the shot cannon and grabbed the mech by the arm rolling it face up. After a moment the chest cavity hissed and popped open as the pilot clambered out and raised his hands.

Across the battlefield the hostile return fire fell silent and David glanced around confused for a long moment before he noticed a trio of Humvees screaming down the road with bright red crosses painted on the side. With that sight he closed his eyes and shook his head. "Why don't they just fucking surrender?"

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 03:00 hrs.<strong>

**10 km south of the Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Mannaz Company, Mithril Base – Alaska Ground Defense Detachment**

"Cease fire! Let them collect their wounded."

The order had gone out, and Sergeant Major Jessica York leaned against the side of the foxhole, her eyes closed as she thanked the forces on high for the temporary breather. By silent consent the Americans had agreed to the impromptu cease fire, their guns falling silent in response to the silence from their own. Maybe they couldn't identify targets without the gunfire giving them away.

Some of the support staff moved to the trenches and fox holes carrying munitions and medical kits. A few troopers were carried off for their injuries to be tended. So far casualties on their side had been light, but it couldn't last.

The American advance had halted just a few hundred meters from their position and she was sure they'd be overrun once the fighting resumed. By mutual agreement most of the Mithril teams had decided to be sporting and professional. Medics were not targets, nor were ambulances or incapacitated soldiers. They hoped that when the Americans won that the respect they'd shown would be echoed by the soldiers that took their surrender.

Beside her Daniel thumped the snow off the TOW launcher as he loaded the new missile that had been delivered from the rear. Glancing through the optics he shook his head and glanced at her. "How long do you think?"

"Till they win or the shooting resumes?" Jessica asked.

"Both." He muttered quietly. Overhead flashes of light marked where dogfights continued between the two air forces.

"I have no fucking clue." She pulled a set of binoculars from her gear and stood quickly scanning the frontage. Dozens of medical personnel were at work while soldiers nervously guarded their comrades in the open. Tankers with minor burns and concussions helped load infantrymen who had taken shell fragments or rifle rounds. Having once been a part of the American Marines she knew that crew survivability was one of the biggest design concerns, her fiancé had been a tanker. She doubted the man would be pleased with her current circumstances, the cheating bastard.

"Looks like most of the tank crews lived, no surprise there. It's why we use American IFVs and Tanks when we can. Not like the soviets who store the ammo right next to the crew." She glanced over at Daniel. "No idea on casualties among their troopers though, the body armor they got is damn good."

A burning Eagle lit up the valley, flames streaming behind it like a vast comet's tail. A flash of light from the cockpit signaled the pilot's escape. Pursing her lips Jessica followed the brilliant flare of the rocket motor carry him overhead before his parachute snapped open.

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 03:23 hrs.<strong>

**10 km south-west of the Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**19****th**** Fighter Squadron, 3****rd**** Wing, 11****th**** Air Force**

"Missile, inbound! Drop chaff! Drop chaff!" The warning system was practically screaming as Lt. Colonel Tod D. Wolters tore through the sky. Behind him a missile streaked toward his plane.

The chaff dispenser read empty, a state he really hoped was just a lie by a pesky computer as he punched the chaff release button and broke hard to the left roaring over the battle field. Seconds later a bang echoed in the cockpit as dozens of warning lights appeared around him.

He'd been hit. His eyes dropped to the fire warnings screaming from both engines and knew that he was done. "Rapier Lead, ejecting!" He called out unsure even if the radio still functioned as he grabbed the ejection harness and pulled.

The seat pulled him back into an upright position as its straps tightened and then smashed upward through the glass canopy. The seat tore through the sky like a missile before the rocket motor died and his parachute opened, pulling him from the seat which fell to earth below.

Glancing down he saw the burning remains of dozens of wrecks and the smoke blowing northward. Spinning slowly in his chute he glanced at the ground once more and blinked. _The flashes of light from gunfire were gone, perhaps the battle had moved onward then? Maybe the ground troops had surrendered._

_How does Mithril treat prisoners?_

That thought made his scowl at the northward win deepen, north was Mithril territory, and south was American territory. In the dim light he couldn't make out identification marks or vehicles and his night vision goggles were shattered from the ejection.

Then he saw a black speck amongst the white of the snow and scowled again. _Was it a rock? Maybe a fallen tree or bomb crater? _Swallowing again he tightened his grasp on the lanyards of his parachute and braced himself as the ground rushed up toward him.

He hit with a jolt that made his back spasm in pain and swore loudly before unclipping his harness. As the chute's pull stopped he found himself sliding and fell into a dug out in the side of the hill.

A TOW launcher sat beside him as he looked up and saw a pair of M4 ACOG rifles aimed at his chest. The two fighters were clad in American style winter camouflage and had the familiar body armor he'd seen countless times among the SFs on base and army troops. But these two bore a crest shaped patch on each shoulder that loudly declared their affiliation.

_Shit._

"Nice of you to drop in." One of them joked in a crisp Tennessee accent. Glancing at the speaker he realized it was a woman. "Service pistol?"

He slowly nodded and pulled the Beretta from its holster dropping it to the ground between them. Smiling she picked it up and nodded once. "You can have this back when we surrender."

"What?" Tod asked.

"It won't be long now." She smirked once as she glanced over at the battlefield. "You're running us out of ammo. Now would you be a dear and sit at the bottom of the hole so your buddies don't kill you on accident."

Tod, the Lt. Colonel for a squadron of fighters did as he was told. It wasn't often a Sergeant Major could order an officer around.

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 03:34 hrs.<strong>

**Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Mithril Command Bunker**

Sarah Miller leaned against the side of the door at the back of the room watching the feeds from dozens of different personnel. A few from the SRT and RAH-66 Comanche squadron showed nothing but static as either the vehicle in question had been lost or their radio disabled. A couple others from the fighter squadrons showed the same empty static or a signal lost message.

The General stood beside a holographic map of the battlefield, watching the situation. The impromptu truce has held for over half an hour and would soon end. The Americans had swiftly retrieved their casualties in that time and even cleared part of the road. Still, they had to press forward soon.

The fighter squadrons were circling to land after each had successively expended their ordnance. It would take time to rearm and refuel them and in that time the base would be completely exposed to American air power and the helicopters were had also returned and were furiously being worked on by the ground crews.

If the Americans broke through before they were refueled and rearmed the craft would never fly again. Instructions had long been handed out to destroy any equipment that could be used against Mithril in the event of its capture, so every ground crew had explosives ready in case the now inevitable surrender occurred.

_Inevitable surrender._ That thought made Sarah nervous, shouldn't she get on a plane and run, get away. _Maybe it won't be so bad, they can't be as bad as the Russians, and most of the people here were trained by them. They can't be so bad, right?_

_Then why the hell attack us?_

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 03:40 hrs.<strong>

**Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Valkyrie Squadron, Mithril Base – Alaska Air Defense Detachment**

Albus Doran let out a sigh of relief as the wheels of his harrier touched the tarmac. His body was coated with sweat from high G-turns and maneuvers. While the first squadron the Americans had sent had been thrashed, the 3rd wing hadn't let up and F-15Cs and Es had all but darkened the skies by the time they'd expended their ordnance. Two ASRAAMs and two AMRAAMs were far from sufficient to dent the enemy when they were as skilled in combat as they were.

The plane rolled along the runway beside its wing mate. Lydia's craft smoked from one of the rear thrust vectoring nozzles and a set of holes bisected the wing just right of one of the landing gear. The Eagle pilot that had delivered the blow had ate the last of his AMRAAMs and ejected nearly thirty kilometers east of the base. The two planes rolled along the runway their ECS off as they taxied to their hangars. As the cockpits slid open and let in the arctic cold, the roar of engines announced another pair lining up to land.

Lydia clambered out and tore her helmet off throwing it into the cockpit as the ground crew rushed forward and began hurrying to put out the smoke. Glaring at them she shook her head. "Why bother? Get a charge out and destroy it!"

"Yes ma'am!" One of the ground staff answered immediately and scurried off while she shook her head. Then she glanced at Albus clambering out of his harrier.

"Sorry about that, but I won't be joining you up next time. Left aileron control is shot." She sighed. "You'll have to get someone else to cover your ass."

"It's okay Lydia, I don't know if the ground crew has the time to rearm it before the tanks roll up." He let out a sigh and shook his head. "You did good out there."

"Not good enough." She glanced back at her battered harrier as an ordnance officer pulled a satchel charge from storage, twisted the fuse and tossed it into the cockpit. As the man walked away a blast tore apart the craft leaving it a flaming wreck in the hangar. Moments later the emergency crew set to work dousing the wreckage.

"I'll get you that bottle now. It'll be awhile before my bird is flight ready." He gestured to a Humvee sitting beside the hangar. "Quickly before either of us freeze."

"Da, you are quite a comrade Albus. Maybe when all this is over we can get a job together again." She smiled and shook her head.

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 03:57 hrs.<strong>

**10 km south of the Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Mannaz Company, Mithril Base – Alaska Ground Defense Detachment**

Daniel scowled as he glanced down at the United States pilot shivering in the bottom of their hole. "Shit, Jesse, you got a spare field jacket? Our guest looks like he's about to get frost bitten."

"Yeah, back in fucking barracks, at our fucking base, that's ten kilometers north of this little hole. You want me to run back and get it?" The Sergeant Major scowled as she glanced down at the Lieutenant Colonel. "Maybe we should hand him a white flag and tell him to walk over to his friends."

The Lieutenant Colonel swallowed and glanced up at the two Mithril Operatives, his eyes wide. It was clear this was not the sort of people he'd imagined fighting. The two joked, laughed, and talked freely with him. It was like they weren't even enemies, not really. It was almost what it'd be like if American and Britain fought a war he imagined: chivalrous, respectful, and admirable conduct.

The ceasefire that had persisted was just like that, an unspoken gentleman's agreement. They were professionals. They had standards of decency and rules of engagement.

Jessica let out a tired sigh and leaned back against the wall of the foxhole. The truce had lasted longer than anyone had anticipated and she almost wondered if someone in Washington had blinked and decided they'd made a terrible mistake.

Then a rumble like thunder swept across the valley and she saw the south light up like a fireworks display. It'd been years since she'd trained in the Marine Corps, years since she'd hunkered down in the mud with artillery shells coming down on an exercise, but the years hadn't deadened her memory of that experience.

"Shit! Down, everyone down!" She yelled and dropped back down curling her body up under her helmet as the first whistle of the incoming shells reached her ears. Then all she heard was the continuous rumble of explosions, yells and screams echoed from a foxhole down the line. A roar of afterburners marked the appearance of the American air force and the scream of shells was drowned out by the louder thunder of strings of bombs landing on the line.

The air seemed to fill with shrapnel and dust. Smoke and dirt rolled over them and they coughed and choked on dirt and grime.

Jessica glanced at the Lieutenant Colonel now so coated with dust and grime that he seemed to have lost any semblance of identification with the advancing forces. Shaking her head at the thought she tried to push away the ringing in her ears. Slowly sounds began to return, the bark of a heavy machine gun, the roar of a fire, and whoosh of missiles snapped her back to her reality just as Daniel cleared the eyepiece of his TOW Launcher and lined up on a target.

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 04:00 hrs.<strong>

**11 km south of the Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**5****th**** Squadron, 1****st**** Cavalry Regiment, 1****st**** Brigade Combat Team, 25****th**** Infantry Division**

David watched the bombardment through the displays of his M6 Bushnell. The rearmed and field repaired Arm Slave sat with the tattered remains of his squadron in a small gully that offered a modicum of protection from fire. The official count for their unit had been bad enough, nearly half the Arm Slaves were destroyed or disabled and unlike the Bradley IFVs or Abrams MBTs there was no easy way for a unit to be made very survivable. The soviets had tried with their RK-92 Savage and its rounded belly to deflect ordinance.

That hadn't worked out for them. From what he had heard most of the casualties in the Arms Slaves had been less than expected, as though the Mithril gunners had aimed to disable instead of kill. Considering the actions of the M9 pilot on his defeat, it sounded plausible.

The communications link crackled. "All units advance and engage."

David let out a slow breath and started forward, his heart hammering in his chest. _Maybe the bombardment had worked, maybe resistance would be light. Maybe…_

Then the Arm Slave beside him burst into flames and collapsed, its body broken by a fifty-seven millimeter shell. Swallowing he broke into a run as the whir of rotor blades behind him grew to a roar audible even through the metal shell of the mech. Glancing at the displays he let out a sigh of relief, the rotors were friendly, at least this time. AH-64 Apaches and OH-58 Kiowas, UH-60 Blackhawks were in the mix as well laden with assault troopers and likely heading straight for the airfield.

_They gave us a nasty bloody nose so we answer with a knock out._

A shell exploded in front of his mech and the sensors flickered for a moment as debris glanced off them. Swallowing back a gulp he focused once again on the battle. His fight, he had to get this damn thing back for Benny's sake at least. That damn tech wouldn't live down him dying out here.

"M9, two o'clock, range one thousand." The AI stated blandly and David swore. His limbs suddenly went rigid. The first opponent had been bad enough, but a second M9. He'd dropped the first through luck!

He was running still, a blistering one hundred kilometer run across the snow. He stepped over a rough line of foxholes at the base of the ridge and ahead he could see the M9 now, holding a Bofors ASG-96B smoothbore rifle. A sniper of a sort he thought to himself as he charged forward, shifting his run to the left and right hoping to keep the sniper's aim off him.

No shell came.

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 04:07 hrs.<strong>

**9 km south of the Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Sigel Team, Mithril Base – Alaskan Special Response Team**

Mara Lesche swore as the bofors gun in her hands refused to fire, clearing the action revealed a jammed round and grimaced inside the M9. The displays showed the American assault. Already she'd dodge a half dozen hellfire missiles from the Apaches that were swooping low over the battlefield hunting.

Now an M6 Bushnell was rushing toward her, an Otto/Melala "Boxer" shot cannon clasped in his hands.

Sweat poured from her hands as she dropped the rifle and drew her AS's sidearm, a mere twenty-five millimeter gun. She let loose sending round after round at the charging Arm Slave. Sparks and bits of metal flew from the armored body as hits struck home, but it didn't fall. Now a mere two hundred meters away she could easily see the applique and reactive armor had been applied and she swore.

_The one damn Arm Slave the Americans got that's armored and he chooses me to target._ Swallowing she tossed aside the worthless sidearm as the secondary head armament let loose sending .50 caliber rounds into the opponent while she grabbed the tertiary weapon she carried, a monomolecular cutter.

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 04:08 hrs.<strong>

**9 km south of the Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**5****th**** Squadron, 1****st**** Cavalry Regiment, 1****st**** Brigade Combat Team, 25****th**** Infantry Division**

David Johnson bit his lip as one of the displays flickered and died to static. Scowling he slid to a stop as he saw the M9 dump its sidearm and draw a monomolecular cutter and he lifted the "Boxer" shot cannon.

"Surrender!" He yelled, trusting the external speakers to carry the message as he centered the "Boxer" shot cannon on his foe.

"Not yet!" A strange accented voice answered immediately and David blinked confused for a moment. The accent was foreign and one he'd never heard before, it almost sounded Slavic or Czech but not.

The pilot was also female.

_Fuck, and to think I swore I'd never hit a girl._

He gritted his teeth and bit his lip as the M9 charged forward, swinging the monomolecular cutter. There was a bang as the blade struck the ERA armor and the armor did its job, exploding outward and smashing the monomolecular cutter and the M9's hand along with it.

The woman wasn't finished though and pulled an anti-tank dagger out with what he figured was her off hand. Realizing she wasn't about to give up he braced the gun. At the last second, remembering the last pilot he'd fought he shifted his aim downward and fired.

The M9's legs evaporated and the unit fell forward, clearly out of the fight. Shaking his head for a moment he reached down and rolled the body over. "Now will you surrender?"

"Nuts."

_Who the fuck is this woman?_ He shook his head again and sighed despite the smile that slipped onto his lips. "Come on, you lost."

The hatch to the M9 opened and a woman clad in a black form fitting AS suit clambered out, her pale skin nearly matching the snow and she looked up with hard grey eyes at him. Her curly black hair made her look almost Greek. _Damn and she is pretty…_

"I hate to lose."

David laughed. _Where the fuck does Mithril find these people?_

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 04:19 hrs.<strong>

**Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Officer's Mess**

Albus sat down beside Lydia and glared down at the glass of water. After the last few hours it needed to be something else. More specifically, it needed to be a damn beer.

Lydia, now plane less was able to relax and picked up the bottle of vodka and took a swig and slammed it down on the table, her cheeks pink from either the cold outside, the alcohol, or a combination of the two.

"I wonder how many people we killed today." Her voice was low and quiet and he'd often seen how when the pressure of the job let up the best soldiers could slip into a melancholy from the simple nature of their work.

"Not that many, those Abrams tanks you knocked out are legendary for keeping the crews alive. The same goes for most planes these days. Maybe someone died from the rocket attacks though." He sighed. "Don't think about it, I might have to go out there again."

Lydia nodded once and took another swig of the vodka. "What do you think will happen to us?"

Albus pursed his lips in thought and glanced down at the polished bar top. "Depends on the Americans I guess. You're a Russian so they might want to debrief you about what you did over there as well."

"Fuck, I was an instructor for Yak pilots. It was shitty fucking work." She growled for a moment. "What they think I'll tell them that they don't know already? The Yak-141 sucks?" She laughed at that and took another swig. "Shit, times were good with Mithril paying the bills."

"You got a stash somewhere I hope." Albus stated as he glared back down at his water.

"Of course, every mercenary does." She finished off the bottle and tossed it in the trash. "Not that it does any damn good if someone tosses you in jail." Lydia ran a hand through her blond hair and glared at the mirror across from them.

Albus shrugged and glanced up at the ceiling as he heard the whir of rotors. Sighing he glanced back at her. "I feel sorry for the American members, this must suck."

"I don't know, you forget three of my kills are Mikoyans." She climbed over the bar and pulled out another bottle. "And one of them was a guns kill in the cockpit."

Albus winced. He'd seen the gun camera footage and what the Gatling gun on a harrier had done to the glass bubble canopy had made it into a few nightmares. One moment the glass was there the next it was filled with holes, shattered, and stained with blood.

"They made their choice and I made my own. Hell, my choice was to have a choice. Getting out of the motherland isn't easy, especially if you're a pilot." She snickered. "Unless you decide to land unannounced in some neutral country."

"That how you got out?"

She nodded. "South Korea in the middle of the night, damn air traffic controllers probably shat themselves when the daylight rolled around and a brand new Yak was sitting on their dispersal pad."

"Civilian one then?"

"Yeah, couldn't pull something like that at a Military airport." She tore off the tin foil wrapper on the vodka and took another gulp. "I managed to get a flight to South America before they knew I was even there." She laughed. "That's where I hooked up with Mithril."

"A lot of us Brits heard about it in ninety-three when they were starting up, my enlistment was up so I decided to give it a shot." He smiled. "It's been a good seven years."

"Want to grab one of those Gulfstream G. IVs and get the hell out of here?" Lydia asked with a smirk.

The doors burst open and Albus froze as a dozen American soldiers scrambled inside, their rifles up and ready to clear the room. Seeing them he sighed. "Sorry chaps, all non-combatants here."

As the Americans relaxed he leaned over and poured his glass of water into the drain before opening the tap and getting a beer, properly warm for his British constitution. Smirking he lifted it to his mouth and glanced at Lydia. "Sorry love, but it seems they've caught us. Guess I'm off the flight line now."

Lydia laughed. "Da, so it seems."

"Chaps, it seems the bar is open. Help yourself." He said lifting his frothing mug of bitter to salute the confused soldiers.

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 04:33 hrs.<strong>

**Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Mithril Command Bunker**

As soon as the Blackhawks had flown overhead they'd started, an orgy of destruction that bordered on anarchy as files, data, and other information was systematically destroyed. Sitting in the bunker Sarah stared down at the case in her hands and felt tears well up in her eyes.

"Miss Miller, I'm sorry but it must be done." The general stated simply as he watched her.

Sarah nodded, her hands quivering over the controls on the compact AI core balancing on her lap. Her finger hovered over the tiny keyboard hesitantly.

"I don't blame you Sarah." Al's voice echoed from the speaker and she stifled another sob of grief.

Her hands hovered over the keyboard and she tried to bite back the tears, to force her emotions back under her control.

"I can't do it." She sobbed and cradled the device to her chest. "Al's alive, I can't kill him!"

At that moment the doors smashed open and a team of American soldiers rushed into the room. Two shots rang out as a guard tried to draw his weapon and fell, leaving behind a trail of blood against the wall.

The others slowly raised their hands.

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 04:37 hrs.<strong>

**10 km south of the Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Mannaz Company, Mithril Base – Alaska Ground Defense Detachment**

Jessica tossed her radio into the center of the hole and shook her head. "The base just fell." She let out a long sigh and glanced out over the top of the foxhole at the advancing Americans. Return fire had stopped almost ten minutes earlier.

The defenders were out of ammunition, and as the Americans had slowly approached one by one the foxholes had surrendered.

It was just that the particular M2 Bradley that was headed their way was taking an inordinate amount of time to reach them. Shaking her head she pulled out the M9 Beretta and spun it around handing it back to the pilot that had landed in their hole. That done she pulled the empty clip from her rifle and swung it over her shoulder.

"Aren't you going to give that up?" Lt. Colonel Tod Wolters asked as he gestured to the M4 ACOG over her shoulder.

"Why? I bought it." She answered and smirked as Daniel did much the same. "You wouldn't confiscate a weapon from a US citizen would you?"

The Lt. Colonel shook his head and gestured down the hill toward the M2 Bradley. "You can argue that with them, come on, if you're prisoners at least act like it."

Daniel laughed and put his hands over his head and marched through the snow toward the slowly plodding form of the approaching Bradley. "Maybe they have a jacket for the Lieutenant Colonel."

Jessica laughed. "They better!" The Bradley stopped before them and its commander stood blinking at the sight of the soot covered pilot leading two Mithril Operatives to him. Jessica gestured to the man behind them. "Hey Army! Have you got a fucking coat for this guy, he's freezing! I don't want him to shoot me for my fatigues."

The man just blinked as two things registered in his mind. He'd fought a woman and her choice of words told him one more thing. Only marines said _"Hey Army!"_ and got away with it.

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 09:00 hrs.<strong>

**Washington, District of Columbia, United States**

**White House Situation Room**

Bill Clinton watched the battle wind down, the Mithril units slowly surrendering one after another. His eyes focused on the blackened wreckage that sat scattered around the countryside. On the road wrecks were almost stacked atop each other and a few burnt corpses littered the snow.

"It seems it's over." General Gordon stated as he watched the satellite feed. "Initial reports from the medical section of the twenty-fifth division are coming in, but it seems fatalities are low, probably under a hundred and twenty or so but they've got over a thousand cases of wounded soldiers to treat. We've also got search and rescue efforts out for thirty or so pilots. Their HQ had locations for other ten or so pilots of theirs that went down."

"I will have to address the nation tonight and explain our actions, it would be prudent to let the media in and see the base, at least giving them limited access." The president rubbed the side of his cheek and glanced once more at the displays. "They fought well."

General Gordon nodded. "We received a message ten minutes ago from Admiral Jerome Borda." He sighed and lifted the teletype to his eyes. "Congratulations on your military victory over the World's Policeman. It is with my sincerest hopes that great loss of life was averted in the battle. Your nation alone is the world's protector from chaos. The keys of damnation and salvation are now in your hands. Use them wisely."

Gordon coughed into his hand and sighed. "I'll be watching. Sincerely, Jerome Borda, Admiral, United States Navy (retired)."

"Any idea where he is?" The President asked.

"The NSA is attempting to back track the signal." Gordon sighed. "He's almost certainly outside of the country by now." Gordon glanced at the satellite feeds and shook his head. "Any idea what we should do with them?"


	9. Chapter 7: An Era's End

_Author's Note: One of the obvious results of the whispered's existence and their role as the source for black technology I'd always wondered about is... who designed the basic Arm Slaves the major nations use? Some clues come in the form of naming conventions in Russian military equipment. Most weapons use the designer's name in the designation. MiG stands for Mikoyan - Gurevich, Yak stands for Yakolev, Su stands for Sukhoi, GSh stands for Gryazev - Shipunov (The BK-540 is a bit of an odd ball but Russians do have exceptions... like AK... Mikhail Kalashnikov just gets a letter, shouldn't it be Sh-540 or Sh-37 considering their normal naming conventions?) so Rk and Zy are codes for someone's names. Enter Andrei Rubinka and Tanya Zostoya.  
><em>

**Sword and Shield**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7:<strong> An Era's End

* * *

><p><strong>The Zone<strong> 1. _n._ a state of focused attention or energy so that one's performance is enhanced. 2. _n. _the 30 km exclusion zone around the site of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor disaster (formally the Zone of Alienation).

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 05:31<strong>

**Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Outside Barracks 12-C**

Sarah Miller clutched the AI core to her chest as the soldiers led them into the building. Smoke rose from dozens of points around the base where equipment had been demolished. Blackhawk Helicopters roared overhead in the pre-dawn glow of an Artic morning. In the distance she could see the smashed remains of a C-130 smoldering while troopers surrounded the three intact Gulfstream G. IVs down the tarmac. Humvees painted in artic white and black camouflage rumbled through the streets with American soldiers manning the weapons nervously.

The doors opened with a clack as the soldiers came to a stop. Their leader herded the group of Mithril personnel inside and closed the door behind them posting guards around the building.

Swallowing she walked to one of the empty bunks and sat down, her arms wrapped around the plastic and metal case that held the AI. Tears began to stream down her cheeks as the doors opened again with a bang and another half-dozen or so Mithril personnel were ushered inside. Among them the Lt. Colonel in charge of Valkyrie Squadron, another pilot, and a number of members of the hangar ground crew.

"Fucking blighters!" The Lieutenant Colonel roared as he spun around to face the door. "Wouldn't even let me finish the beer."

"Comrade, I still have a bottle of Vodka in my pocket." The female pilot said as she gestured to one of the bunks. "We can share."

Sarah shook her head and glanced down at Al.

"Are we captured then?" The AI asked quietly.

"Yes Al, we're captured." She sighed.

"Should I begin a hardware wipe, I don't want to be studied."

Sarah shook and clutched the case tightly to her chest. "No… please don't."

"Sarah?"

"I can't do this alone." She muttered remembering the horrors that the Soviets had visited upon her. "We'll find a way Al, we'll escape."

"Understood."

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 06:19 hrs<strong>

**9 km south of the Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Sigel Team, Mithril Base – Alaska Special Response Team**

Mara sat upon the smashed remains of her M9E Gernsback a cigarette dangling from her mouth as she looked out over the battlefield. Her service pistol and P90 personal defense weapon sat tossed into the snow stripped of their magazines.

Beside her sat the American pilot that had dropped her mech, a cigarette of his own clasped between two fingers. His bright blue eyes flickered from her to the smoking wreckage in the valley to the south. Mithril troopers stood shoulder to shoulder with their old enemies, their weapons empty or confiscated. Sometimes the American soldiers ushered them away as MPs began to organize the effort of corralling prisoners.

They were over five hundred meters away from the nearest MP and she was relieved that for now the indignity of being a POW had passed her by. She doubted such fortune would continue to smile on her for much longer.

"Shit."

The word lingered hanging between the two soldiers that had been on opposing sides.

"Amen to that." The American finally said. "I might have fought alongside you guys a few months back. 'Silver Thunder' in the Kuril Islands and all that crap."

Mara blinked. "I was there. You must have been with one of the Dragoon troops."

"Ice Dragoon Nine." He glanced over at the field of wreckage. "Though I doubt I'll just be Nine for long."

"Sigel Three." She shook her head slowly. "No clue what I will be after this, you know what they're going to do with us Mithril people?"

"No, no fucking idea. You're not American so it's not like they can charge you as a terrorist or anything." He shrugged. "Geneva convention says held till paroled and I don't see the pentagon doing anything but stand by that."

"If it was up to your officers would you be here?" She said quietly, wiping a hand through her hair and glancing out into distance. "Fucking politicians."

"Amen to that."

"What does that even mean? One of my cohorts said it all the time and I never could figure out what it meant." Mara asked.

"You mean 'amen to that?' It means I agree with you. It's Baptist speak, you Christian?"

She shook her head. "Muslim."

"Where are you from? You don't look like any Arab I've heard of."

"Kosovo, it's part of Yugoslavia, unfortunately." She shook her head and glared at the ground. "The only 'christians' I knew growing up turned into murderous bastards. You don't seem like that."

"How the hell you end up here?"

"I got picked up in a 'Silver Thunder' op in Kosovo. A bunch of civilians and a couple of us KLA fighters were lined up to be executed and poof, the whole firing line got ripped up by a Bushnell that appeared out of nowhere, then some choppers showed up and got us out." She shrugged. "They offered us KLA people a choice, they could drop us off in Albania or we could join them."

"Without Mithril…"

"I'd be dead and so would two or three hundred civilians from my village." She swallowed. "I killed some people but I like to think I saved a lot more since I joined… but now. You American bastards shut us down."

"I just follow orders."

"That's why you're a bastard. A good soldier knows when to refuse an order." She growled.

* * *

><p>Specialist David Johnson sat there quietly for a long moment. "I'm sorry. I know some people tried to stop this from coming down, and all of us that worked alongside you lot knew it was bullshit that we were doing this. But what else could we do, if we refused to follow orders they'd toss us in the stockade and throw away the key."<p>

"It doesn't make what you did right."

David nodded. "No, it doesn't." He frowned to himself as a Humvee approached with MP written atop the hood. With a sigh he stood. "It seems your ride has arrived."

"So it has."

"It was nice talking to you Sigel Three." He said quietly.

"My name is Mara Lesche." She said quietly and glanced at the approaching Humvee.

"David, David Johnson." He said quietly. "Good luck."

"Thank you."

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 06:40 hrs<strong>

**Anchorage, State of Alaska, United States**

**Anchorage International Airport**

Christian Amanpour stared out the window at the artic dawn and slowly shook her head. The executive leadership at CNN had rushed to send their most experienced battlefield correspondent, and she'd found herself thrust onto a red eyed flight to Alaska.

Not that it was any surprise, she'd found herself being flown to airports all over the world on last minute flights time and again. The coverage work she'd done during the Yugoslavian civil war marked her as the most experienced of their correspondents on military conflict, and now she was in the United States to report on another military conflict.

She sighed as she pulled the baggage out of the overhead cabin and glanced at her producer standing immediately behind her with blood shot eyes. The camera crew was somewhere on the plane as well she knew. Pulling out her cell-phone she thumbed it on and slipped it back into her pocket as she walked down the aisle and out of the aircraft.

A set of American officers stood at the exit, their stances watchful. Almost as soon as she had stepped into view one of them walked up to her and glanced at her baggage.

"Christian Amanpour?" He asked quickly.

"That's right." She glanced back at her producer.

"Major Jordan Willis, Public Relations, Twenty-Fifth Infantry Division. Would you and your crew follow me? We've got a plane standing by to take you to the base."

Christian Amanpour frowned. "We're supposed to report on the engagement, how can we do that from your base?"

"Miss Amanpour, you misunderstand. The transport is standing by to take you to the Mithril base."

"So the battle is over?"

The Major nodded once. "Yes."

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 06:45 hrs<strong>

**Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Outside of Barracks 12-E**

The ramp of the Bradley IFV slowly lowered and Jessica York grimaced against the glare of the rising sun. A pair of troopers pushed her and Daniels out into the cold as the Lieutenant Colonel stepped out clad in a spare field jacket that they'd found inside the vehicle.

_God damn, back at base… I suppose that makes sense._ Jessica blinked away the bright glare and glanced around noticing they were in the middle of the communal barracks area. American troops stood guard around the fence which surrounded the group of buildings while their officers directed the surrendering Mithril members to barracks.

The one twenty meters down the row had a second set of guards around it for some reason and she shrugged. "Alright, maybe they'll throw me in my old bed."

"That'd be nice." Daniels said as two MPs stepped forward, a clipboard covered with line paper in their hands.

"Name, Rank, and Unit." One said.

"Sergeant Major Jessica York, Mannaz Company, Primary Response Team." She stated with a shrug of her shoulders.

One of the officers off to the side yelled. "Lieutenant Pierce, pick five of the bunch. A Major Willis wants a group to show off to the press. Make them five of the combatants if you could and a mix of units."

The Lieutenant in front of the pair nodded once. "Alright you two, you just became TV Stars." Then he turned and yelled back to the officers. "I'll get the two pilots in 12-C! Have we got any of the Special Response Team in custody? One of the AS pilots maybe?"

"One of the patrols just reported in that they picked up one, we'll bring him over for this." The man answered back.

"Did you hear that Daniels? We get to be TV stars." Jessica York said.

Beside her Daniels shook his head. "We're really moving up in the world aren't we?"

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 09:13 hrs<strong>

**Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**C-130 Mule Four, Runway 3-B**

The roar of the turboprops began to die as the deck bounced under her and Christian Amanpour glanced across at her cameraman clutching tight hold of an equipment bag. Her producer pulled tightly on the black flak vest he wore that declared in large white letters: PRESS.

"I told you that you won't need that." The major said as he glanced over at him. "Mithril has surrendered."

"Maybe, but years of snipers taking pot shots at me in a 'safe zone' have worn off." He answered glancing at Christian Amanpour. "She's wearing hers as well."

The major sighed. "You'll find that this isn't like most conflict zones you've been in. Mithril's soldiers are professionals, they didn't shoot at medics for instance so I'm sure even if there is a pissed off sniper hiding somewhere you won't be shot."

"We're taking no chances." Christian Amanpour stated flatly as she felt the plane turn on the runway. A moment later the sound of the turboprops died and the cargo hatch began to whine open.

Smoke rose from a dozen odd hangars in the background and she could see the smashed remains of a handful of C-130s like the one that had delivered them. Stepping out into the cold artic air she glanced around and blinked. No hangar was broken no bomb craters littered the runways or tarmac. Only the planes themselves were burnt out wrecks and beside the American military helicopters and a few other American military aircraft only three Gulfstream G. IVs sat unmolested on the tarmac.

"They destroyed the equipment themselves instead of letting it be captured for analysis. Fortunately they didn't get to those gulfstream jets before our troops put a stop to it." The major said as he led them down the ramp and onto the tarmac. A Humvee rolled up and came to a stop in front of them.

"Get in. We'll take you to the actual battlefield." The major said, a lump rising in his throat as he spoke. "Then bring you back so you can talk to those that defended the base."

Christian Amanpour nodded and climbed inside followed by her producer and cameraman. She blinked at the steel insignia plastered on the hangar showing a sword hanging over a shield framed with angelic wings. In large white letters that curved around the bottom border of the insignia it declared: Mithril.

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 10:41 hrs<strong>

**Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Barracks 12-C**

The barracks door banged open and Sarah jumped, her stomach knotting as an army Colonel stepped inside and glanced around for a moment before looking straight at her. "That one, maximum guard."

The lieutenant that had followed him in blinked and looked at her for a long moment. "Sir? She's only eighteen or so."

"I know that, but she's the one." He stated flatly, his hand tapping a clipboard held in his hand. "I doubt very well there are two eighteen year old arm slave designers in this base."

Sarah Miller swallowed and held Al tight to her chest and stared at the two Americans for a long moment as the younger man waved a group of soldiers inside. Staring up at them, she shivered before the Colonel walked up beside her and glared down at her. "Miss Miller I presume?"

"No." She said flatly tightening her grip on the case in her arms.

The Colonel chuckled. "So modest for the woman that made the ARX-8." He knelt and met her eyes for a long moment.

Sarah looked away, her hands shaking as she glanced down at the floor. "Who is asking?"

"My name is Colonel Michael Johanns, formerly of Groom Lake." He smiled at her, his beady eyes studying her for a moment. "I bet my son would love to meet you."

"Formerly of?" She asked quietly.

"Someone has to administrate the lovely facility you people fought so hard to defend." He chuckled again. "Now Mrs. Whispered." He glanced at the case and pursed his lips. "What do you have there?"

"Nothing!" Sarah held the case tight to her chest. "It's just my laptop."

"I doubt that." He said. "I doubt that very much."

Sarah's eyes widened as the man lashed out and grabbed her wrist yanking it away from her chest and grabbed the case with his other hand. Smirking he pulled the unit from her grasp and turned it over in his hands. "Now, what is this?"

Sarah sat silent for a moment then glared up at him. "I told you, it's my computer!"

"Really?" He turned it over in his hands a second time. "I don't see a monitor? Holographic maybe?" He chuckled again as he noticed the readouts running along a single side. "Ah, there's a monitor… and this clearly isn't your computer." Grinning wider he drew his service pistol. "Now, identify yourself."

Sarah's eyes widened as she realized the man was no longer speaking to her but to the case that held the AI.

"If you don't speak up I may just decided that Miss Miller here isn't worth the trouble of keeping around." He pulled back the hammer of the Beretta.

"I am Al." The speakers said flatly. "You should be aware my programming includes a self destruction protocol in case I fall into… hostile hands."

"If you do kill yourself I may just take my anger out on your friend here." He said as he gestured to Sarah with his pistol. "I suggest you don't."

"Acknowledged…"

"You were the AI in the Arbalest and Laevantein then?" The colonel grinned wickedly. "It seems I'll need to make a call to Okinawa."

"I will not cooperate."

"Even if I decide to punish Miss Miller for your behavior?" The colonel stated as he tapped his Beretta against his belt.

The AI was silent and Sarah's gaze flicked between the colonel and AI core, her eyes beginning to well up with tears.

"If you refuse to cooperate I will kill Miss Miller, do you understand?" Sarah's eyes widened as the Colonel raised the Beretta and pointed it at her forehead.

"Yes." Al's voice was steady.

Her voice shook as she stared down the bore. "Al?"

"I'm sorry Miss Miller, but it seems I have no choice. Two deaths will help no one." The AI stated flatly.

"Simple logic, good." The Colonel lowered the pistol and glanced at the Lieutenant. "Take her to her quarters, a full platoon is to stand guard over them at all times. You're authorized to use lethal force if she attempts to flee."

"Sir?"

"You can direct any questions you have to the Department of Defense, but you will follow my orders in this matter." He stated flatly.

"Yes sir."

Sarah swallowed as the troopers surrounded her, her arms wrapped around her chest as she stood. The soldiers escorted her to the door and out into the waiting Humvee and its three escorts. She blinked away tears as the soldiers surrounded her in the car even, their weapons loaded, and the safeties off. The Humvee rolled out, rumbling across the tarmac before turning off onto a street away from the main base. Patrols walked along the road, their members joking with each other.

The soldiers that were surrounding her said not a word as they entered the officer's section of the base and drove along a road lined with homes before stopping before hers. A pair of Bradley IFVs sat in front along with two squads of American soldiers. A pair of sentries stood beside her door and she closed her eyes.

"Get out." The soldier beside her said quietly and she nodded stepping out into the cold artic morning air. The others in the Humvee climbed out and stood behind her as the lieutenant ushered her to the door.

"You are to stay inside unless called. You are not to attempt to flee. You understand we are authorized to use lethal force if you do."

"Yes." Sarah said quietly. "Please, I'll just go inside and sit down. I won't give you any trouble." _For now._ She thought to herself. _I need a plan first._

The lieutenant nodded and stepped aside. Sighing she walked along the sidewalk and up to the door, glancing at the two guards in their artic weather gear before pulling open the storm door and stepping inside.

The door banged shut behind her and she closed her eyes. _Damn it._ Her hands made fists as she slumped back against the door and slid to the floor. Then she made a strangled yell in frustration and slammed her fists into the flooring.

"Damn it!" She said between sobs. "Get ahold of yourself, come on… Sarah or Mira or whoever the hell it is that is sitting on the floor! Snap out of it!" Tears ran down her cheeks and she slumped forward settling her forehead on her knees and pulling her legs tight to her chest.

"Let me go!" She stammered and bit her lip hard enough to draw blood. "Why can't you let me go?"

_The Americans are just as bad as the Soviets._ She thought with a scowl and glared at the entryway to her home, her prison. _I will escape, I just need a plan._

With that thought now firmly entrenched in her mind she stood and took stock stepping into the study. "Did they search it first?"

Pursing her lips she sat down in the chair before her computer and pulled open a bottom drawer and saw a case labeled Fabrique Nationale d'Herstal. Smiling she popped it open and nodded to herself closing it after a moment then she glanced at the computer and set to work.

_If I'm leaving I'm taking everything I need to start over._

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 20:43 hrs<strong>

**Zone of Alienation, Ukraine, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics**

**Duga-3 "Woodpecker" Array, Psi-experimentation Facility**

"Is the subject ready?" A raspy voice asked quietly, its tone betraying a lifetime of drinking and cigarette smoking that had come before it.

"Da comrade, Doctor Nakonečný has stated that we will know within moments if the experiment is a success."

"Yamsk Eleven was a disaster with an unusual side benefit to our nation. We must be extremely careful not to cause a repeat of those events. Our instruments show that the whispers are continuing to occur, but only a few of our whispered continue to hear them. Hopefully this will correct that failure." The doctor ran a hand along his bald head and glanced at the device in the room. "Bring him in."

The metal hatch to the room opened with a creak and an eighteen year old stepped inside, a white medical gown covering him and a number of diodes were attached to his head.

"You know what you must do?" The scientist asked.

"Da comrade doctor. I must resonate with the whispers and return their harmonics to what it once was." The man answered. "The voices have not stopped for me so I believe I will be able to succeed in this venture."

"Comrade, I must ask if you are sure about this. It is Andrei Rubinka, the designer of the Savage and Shamrock you are using for this?" The younger doctor asked.

Rubinka sighed. "My whispers have not been of military technology for some time comrade, in this manner I may better be of use to the motherland. Tanya Zostoya can no longer hear her whispers, without her the Zy-99M Oplat 'Shadow-C' will never be ready for mass production."

"Very well comrade Rubinka." The younger man said as he gestured to the chair. "We shall begin at once."

Andrei swallowed and flinched as his pale skin touched the cold metal of the chair. After a few moments the two doctors began to fasten restraints over his arms and legs before lowering a helmet over his head. The cool metal of hundreds of sensors touched his scalp and he swallowed.

_This is it, Tanya needs this. The army chief of staff has talked of sending her to Siberia if she doesn't finish. _His thoughts drifted back to the redheaded woman working long hours in Kharkiv slaving away at the KMDB trying to work out the bugs in the new design despite a total lack of inspiration. He closed his eyes. They'd touched while in resonance, feeling what the other felt. It had been the single most intimate moment of his life, and had been when his talents had shifted. She'd finished his last design for him while he was transferred to Moscow and the KGB's whispered office. They'd stayed in touch through resonance until nearly a month ago when the whispers had stopped for her.

He wanted that contact back.

"Remember comrade, delve too deeply and you may lose yourself forever." The older man said before stepping back to the console. "We're hooking up the array now."

"Iota particles remain far below the threshold. Tau particles rising beyond background locally, bringing up the power." The younger man said.

"Focus Andrei…"

He closed his eyes and leaned back against the chair, his mind echoing with thousands of voices shouting. _Focus…_

Amongst the voices he could sense them, the other whispered scattered throughout the world, even those that had not had their talents awakened or their hearing failed. The scientists had said a great deal of what he must do would be visualized by his mind, he could sense them but they could not hear.

He would bridge that gap. Focusing further he searched out a single mind, one which he knew intimately. _Tanya…_

He found her and squeezed his eyes in concentration, forcing his mind to bridge the gap. The voices grew louder in his head.

"Tau particles rising to threshold, capacitors charged… wave emission in ten seconds!" The young man shouted.

_Tanya, please hear me! It's Andrei._ His mind shouted as he reached out and suddenly clasped her hand in his mind, her own thoughts ringing in his head a smile washed over his lips. _Tanya!_

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 20:55 hrs<strong>

**Kharkiv, Ukraine, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics**

**Kharkiv Morozov Machine Building Design Bureau Headquarters**

Tanya Zostoya gasped. The tea cup that she'd held falling to the ground with a crash. A rivulet of blood ran down from her nose.

_Tanya!_ A voice shouted in her mind and suddenly there were many voices all yelling at once, louder and more insistent then they had been before. Images flashed through her head one after another in swift succession. Her eyes rolled back into her sockets and she fell forward collapsing over the design table.

Her mind was still active, striding through the torrent of information, searching… _Andrei?_

_I'm here… _His mind echoed at once and a smile slipped across her unconscious lips as the lab techs around her scrambled to her assistance.

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 05:55 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 404, Mansion **K **Apartments**

"Palladium reactor output will increase by point zero five percent…"

Sousuke felt his eyes snap open as the words penetrated his brain and he stared at Kaname's form curled beneath the blankets beside him. Her face was ashen and pale while her eyes fluttered beneath their lids, flickering and moving visibly while he watched.

_Kaname?_ His mind went blank as she murmured again in her sleep, muttering some equations that his mind couldn't follow. He felt beads of sweat run down his forehead as he reached out and squeezed her shoulder.

Her eyes opened a crack and Kaname muttered. "Advanced quantum entanglement trans…" Suddenly her eyes snapped open and she screamed.

* * *

><p>The voices swarmed over her conscious thoughts beating down her own mind and all she could do was scream. Desperate to let her own mind be heard over the swarm of voices. She felt like she was floating in a sea of data surrounded by formula and words that her conscious mind did not understand.<p>

_What's happening… what's happening! Sousuke? Sousuke!_

A chemical formula slammed into her in her mind's eyes buffeting her about like a leaf in the fall. She grabbed at anything in reach and felt something soft. She grabbed hold digging in desperate for an anchor before the vision faded and darkness swam over her.

* * *

><p>Sousuke stared at her form cradled in his arms her nails biting into his arm and holding it tight to her chest. Blood ran down from one of the claw marks as he watched her breathing steady and slow. Closing his eyes he let out a breath and stared at his arm uncertain what to do.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 06:55 hrs<strong>

**Kingsford-Smith Airport, Sydney, Australia**

**Terminal 1 (International Flights)**

Tessa stumbled as a buzzing filling her ears and suddenly gasped as an onslaught of voices tore through her mind. Hundreds of equations streamed across her vision and schematics flashed past one after another. Chemical formulas swam before her while lines of computer code screamed past.

"Tessa?" Uncle Jerry asked as he turned to her, his cane clattering to the ground. He caught her and grunted as she crumpled in his hands. Blood ran from one of her nostrils after a moment and he glanced around the crowded terminal.

In his hands Tessa shook and her eyes watered. Pain shot up his injured leg as he held her upright and his one good eye focused on the girl he cared for as a daughter.

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 11:55 hrs<strong>

**Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Home of Sarah Miller, On-base Officer's Quarters**

Sarah felt the blood running down her nose first. She sat before the computer, her hands frozen over the keyboard. Her ears began to ring as though a loud explosion had torn at her hearing while the world before her faded and white letters and numbers appeared floating before her.

Her stomach knotted as the familiar sensation of floating flooded her body. Images flashed through her mind as her hands suddenly flew over the keys disgorging equations and chemical formula with mind boggling speed. Seconds later the computer froze unable to keep up with the furious pace of data being entered.

Then the words faded and all she saw was darkness.

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 12:55 hrs<strong>

**Groom Lake, State of Nevada, United States**

**Department of Black Technology**

"Lieutenant!" A man yelled and the door slammed open. "Lieutenant MacDonnel! Get a medical team!"

"What, what happened?" He asked pushing past the technician.

"It's the researchers they've…"

Lieutenant MacDonnel felt his eyes widen. Slumped over three terminals were the researchers, each eighteen years old. One of them, Luke Johanns, shuddered and fell from his chair as if in the midst of a seizure. Swearing the lieutenant bent and held the young man trying to keep him from hurting himself. Blood ran down from his nose as he shook on the floor.

The soldier blinked and spun toward the door. "Go! You get them! I'll try and take care of them for now!"

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 20:56 hrs<strong>

**Zone of Alienation, Ukraine, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics**

**Duga-3 "Woodpecker" Array, Psi-experimentation Facility**

Andrei's head lolled forward as the equipment around him powered down. His head swum as the two scientists rushed to his side. One flashed a pen light in each eye.

He didn't notice as his mind was elsewhere. His soul was dancing with joy as his mind touched Tanya's. In their minds they kissed and held each other close.

_Tanya… I missed you._ He smiled. _God I've missed you._

Her form nodded in his mind and looked up at him, dark brown eyes locking with his. _I have to. Thank you Andrei! Thank you!_

"Andrei? Andrei can you hear me." The older scientist asked as he watched him. "Did you do it?"

Closing his eyes to the outside world he spoke only one word. "Da."

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 05:59 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 404, Mansion K Apartments**

Kaname eyes snapped open, her arms wrapped tightly around Sousuke's and she felt sweat pouring from her body. The room spun for a moment and she gasped feeling drained. Her eyes focused on Sousuke's face mere millimeters from her own, his eyes wide with concern. She felt his strong hand wrapped around her shoulder holding him tight to his chest. His face didn't stream with sweat or blush with embarrassment for once.

"Sousuke?" She whispered quietly. "Wha… what happened?"

"You… you were screaming." His hand ran along the side of her face and scowling with concern. "And before that… you were talking about increasing the power output of the palladium reactor."

"Que… Kana-chan you—" Sousuke slapped the alarm clock shutting it up then ran his calloused hand along her cheek before checking her forehead for a fever.

_The palladium reactor? Oh god…_ Kaname stared into his face and then squeezed her eyes shut. _Please wake up, please wake up. Sofia! You bitch where are you?_

No voice answered her yelling mind and her brow furrowed in concentration. Whispers spoke at the edges of her consciousness and she opened her eyes anger flaring in them. _Damn it no. I wanted to be normal. _Tears welled up in her eyes after a moment. _I wanted a normal life after all this._

The whispers were back.

"Kaname?" Sousuke asked quietly, his eyes staring straight into hers.

"I… I'll be okay, but…" She sniffed hugged him tightly. "The whispers… they're back."

A lump rose in his throat and he slowly nodded, pulling her into a tight hug of his own. His hand ran through her hair in a clumsy caress before she buried her head in his chest. She sobbed.

"They'll be after me again."

"I know." Sousuke said quietly. She glanced up at him, suppressing the urge to ask him if he'd protect her, if he'd chase her round the world once again to save her. _He would, I know he would._

Sousuke watched her eyes and leaned forward resting his forehead against hers and then he spoke as if hearing through her eyes what she was thinking. "It's not a problem."

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 06:01 hrs<strong>

**Kingsford-Smith Airport, Sydney, Australia**

**Terminal 1 (International Flights)**

"Tessa, can you hear me?" A familiar voice penetrated the fog of her mind as her eyes slowly creaked open.

"Uncle Jerry?" She said quietly then sat up with a jolt and glanced around. She let out a sigh of relief as she saw that she had been laid down in one of the rows of seats that crowded near one of the gates.

"Thank God, are you alright?" Jerome Borda asked as he leaned over her, a hand resting on her forehead while the other grasped his cane using it to steady himself. "You gave me quite a scare."

She nodded slowly as the memory of a few moments before flashed to the forefront of her mind. "Yes… I'll be alright, but…" She let out a long breath and shook her head. She'd wanted the silence to last for the whispered's value to plummet with Mithril's demise. "The whispers have started again."

Jerome Borda nodded slowly. "As I feared, it seems we're still needed to protect you in this world."

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 12:05 hrs<strong>

**Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Home of Sarah Miller, On-base Officer's Quarters**

Sarah groaned as she felt her head loll to one side and heard the stutter of her computer's hard drive booting up. She glared at the monitor as lines of code sped by and the log in dialog box appeared. Reaching up she touched her mouth and scowled pulling a tissue from beside the computer and wiping away the blood that had ran from her nose.

_Data entered prior to unexpected shut down… attempt recovery? Y/N_

She sighed, tapped the keyboard, and closed her eyes as the machine set to work pulling up line after line of formulas and computer code. Some she recognized but others she didn't. "Great… can this day get any worse?"

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 12:20 hrs<strong>

**10 km south of the Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Vehicle Recovery Company, 25****th**** Infantry Division**

Christian Amanpour pulled the scarf over her nose and swallowed back a surge of bile as the smell of burnt corpses and spent ammunition filled her nose. A large military tractor was winching out a burnt out M1A1 Abrams from the creek-bed beside the road. Dozens of M2 Bradleys, Humvees, and M6 Bushnells had been reduced to hulks of charred metal. A casualty recovery team moved through the wreckage checking the insides of each vehicle for bodies.

Another Arm Slave lay smashed beside the wreck of an M163 Vulcan AAA gun. It's lower body blown apart. The hatch in the center of the chest was open. She grimaced at the sight of the humanoid machine of war. Hydraulic fluid covering the ground around it like blood and the mangled remains of the artificial musculature was torn and lay about it like entrails.

Beside her the camera whirred as it captured the images of the destruction. A half kilometer back they had filmed the wreckage of an F-15E that had been shot down, and back at base they'd managed to catch shots of the burned out wrecks that had littered the base.

Frowning she knelt beside the Arm Slave and shook her head. "Was this one Mithril's?"

The major nodded. "Yes. That was an M9E Gernsback, a third-generation arm slave. Mithril had technical superiority. It was only through weight of numbers that we were able to beat their base defense forces."

"I thought the M9 was under op-evaluation for the United States?" Her producer asked quietly.

"It is. Mithril had their own version of the XM9." The major shook his head. "Most of their equipment was produced by the same companies that make gear for NATO and the United States. In some cases it's identical."

Christian Amanpour nodded slowly as she stood up and looked over the Arm Slave. "It looks like the pilot got out. I'm surprised there aren't more bodies on either side."

"Most western equipment is designed for high crew survivability. On the M1s for instance the ammunition is stowed in a compartment that automatically seals and vents on an impact. On a soviet T-72, especially the low quality export variants, ammunition might be stored next to the crew. The BMP series has a gas tank in the rear door where troops would egress its little wonder very few get out of their equipment. Plus both sides had body armor as standard issue. Fatalities are much lower then you probably expected though total casualties may be about as high as you'd expect." The major paused for a moment. "Some of the troops say they think Mithril was aiming for less lethal strikes. It's hard to make an arm slave's destruction survivable but losses among personnel there have been low." He glanced around the wreckage. "They haven't found a body in several hours, so the current death toll should be accurate so long as the wounded are well taken care of."

Christian Amanpour nodded. There was a difference in the very nature of the battlefield. Its smell for one was different. On most battlefields one could actually smell rotting and burnt flesh. That odor was almost totally absent, replaced by the overpowering smell of expended ordnance, cordite and gunpowder from modern small arms, phosphorous from the tracers and flares, and the smell of oil and grease.

She glanced back at the camera crew walking up the hill to take a wide shot of the valley. They stood beside one of the TOW launchers that had been dug in at the base of the ridge and had a clear view of the entire area and gestured around the area.

The mass of destruction was breath taking. "How long did the battle last? Most of the big engagements I filmed in Yugoslavia didn't have this many wrecks and they went on for days, weeks, or even months."

"It took just shy of two hours, though the actual fighting only lasted probably about a half hour. Most of these wrecks were from the first fifteen minutes or so of fighting." The major shook his head slowly. "After that Mithril stopped shooting as ambulances and other battlefield responders moved up, though the fight in the air didn't have a pause in it like that."

"They stopped shooting?" Christian Amanpour asked in surprise.

"Yes."

She shook her head. "I've got to meet these people. Most mercenaries I've come across seem more like thugs with guns then the sort to have a code of behavior like that."

"Miss Amanpour, Mithril is not most mercenaries."

Her producer waved at her. "Christian, it's Atlanta!"

"Setup a camera quick then." She said running a hand through her hair.

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 07:10 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 404, Mansion K Apartments**

Kaname pursed her lips as she ran a hand through her hair one last time as she sat the hair dryer down. Her stomach growled with hunger and the empty refrigerator and pantry sat outside the door of her bathroom waiting for her.

"We'll have to go shopping today." She said quietly as she picked up the clothes she'd selected for the day and started to get dressed. She'd chosen a tan sweater and black pants from her ensemble and sighed as she glanced at her reflection in the mirror.

_Sousuke never really notices what I wear, not really. Unless it's really revealing, then he just clams up and sweats up a storm._

That done she picked up the stun gun from the side of the sink and checked its charge, her mind busying itself to keep from pointing out that carrying it in here would have been something a certain sergeant would do. Slipping it in a pocket she stretched and yawned.

_I hate mornings._

The thought just sat there for a long moment as she padded out the bathroom door and glanced at Sousuke sitting by the couch, his eyes focused on the television. "It's free."

"It's over." Sousuke muttered quietly as he stood. "I will not take long."

Kaname blinked as he mind rewound to the day before and she sighed. _He must mean America's attack on Mithril._

"I didn't use all the hot water." When he didn't respond she folded her arms over her chest and huffed. "I know you didn't sleep that well last night. Go on and wake yourself up." Kaname said as she stepped aside letting him past. "I was thinking we should go out for breakfast since we've finished the leftovers from the party and there isn't anything else here to eat."

"Affirmative."

"How bad is it?" Kaname finally asked glancing at the television screen as footage of a smashed M1 Abrams being towed out of a creek-bed appeared.

"America is claiming total casualties of one-hundred-and-fifty-nine. No word on Mithril losses." He shook his head. "Nor has there been any word on Tessa or Sarah."

"That's less than I thought it'd be." Kaname said quietly.

"The Alaska base had only a skeleton force there when I picked up the ARX-8." Sousuke glanced at her. "But it was the largest single force Mithril had left."

"So Mithril as a military force… is over?" Kaname asked.

"Affirmative, now America alone has the role of world policeman. They were not up to the job before. I wonder if they are now." Sousuke closed the door. "I will just be five minutes Kaname."

"Take as long as you need!" Kaname said as she stared at the television.

_Mithril is gone, the whispers have returned, and America alone is the world's policeman._ She rubbed her temple. _What will happen now? Who will protect the whispered? Hell… who will pay for all the damages that Sousuke incurs!_

Scowling she picked up her harisen from the counter and tapped her shoulder with it for a moment. "I'm going to have to keep a tight leash on that military otaku."


	10. Chapter 8: The World without Mithril

**Sword and Shield**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8:<strong> The World without Mithril

* * *

><p><strong>Mithril<strong> 1. _n._ an imaginary silvery metal of great strength and value. 2. _n._ a paramilitary organization founded for the protection and research of whispered individuals and peacekeeping operations worldwide, now defunct.

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 19:59 hrs<strong>

**Washington, District of Columbia, United States**

**Oval Office of the President**

The camera's whirred in front of him, their blank lenses rotating as their brought him into sharp focus. Dozens of people stood behind them with placards, legal pads, and laptops. The White House Press Secretary leaned against the wall watching as the teleprompter finished a read through and cycled back to the beginning.

"Thirty seconds, mister president." The producer of the white house film crew announced. She glanced back at the display. "Start film."

The whirr of the electrical motors in the camera echoed in his mind as he took a deep breath and stared at the teleprompter. Creating the speech had been a gargantuan task for his speechwriter, with the National Security Advisor and DDI watching over her like hawks to ensure nothing that could compromise national security leaked into the text.

The producer held up five fingers and began a silent countdown. Taking one last deep breath he stared into the glass eye of the camera. It was show-time.

"My fellow Americans… At 02:40 hours Alaska time units of the twenty-fifth infantry division supported by the third air wing based at Elmendorf Air Base launched a coordinated strike at the mercenary organization known as Mithril. I am pleased to report that as of 06:00 hours local time all armed resistance by the organization has ceased."

"I took this action in order to secure future peace and stability for our nation. In the last three years the mercenary activities of Mithril have caused six international incidents, three major battles, and included the interception of nuclear weapons. Three weeks ago, NORAD detected a nuclear detonation in the South Pacific at a remote island belonging to the organization. It is in response to this event that preparations were made to move against the organization and last night's events were the culmination of nearly a month's worth of efforts by the Department of Defense, CIA, NSA, and FBI to find and remove members of the organization. All American held assets of their front corporation, Argyos Security are hereby frozen."

"De facto leader of Mithril, Admiral Jerome Borda is hereby revoked of his United States citizenship. We ask all our global allies to assist in bringing this wanted man to justice. To Admiral Borda we say this… you can run but you cannot hide. We will find you and bring you to justice."

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 11:08 hrs<strong>

**Kings Cross, Sydney, Australia**

**Room 209, Springfield Lodge**

"That lying son of a bitch!" Melissa Mao roared as she hurled the remote at the television screen.

The remote smashed into the television screen with a thump and bounced off before landing on the rich carpeted floor.

Kurz shook his head as he sat the bag of food he'd gotten down the street on the edge of the bed where Mao sat, her legs crossed under her and her arms wrapped around a pillow. The scowl she wore made him consider backing away for a half second.

"Never before have I been ashamed of being born in that damn country." Melissa muttered as she dropped her head and glared down at the bed. "To think I voted for that bastard."

"Come on nee-san, it's not like you knew he was a complete jerk." Kurz said as he spun a chair from one of the tables and sat down in it. "Come on, have a beer. I got fosters."

Mao laughed and glanced at him. "Damn Weber, you're nice to me all of a sudden?"

"I'm always nice to a lady." Kurz said with a smirk. "Now come on, Melissa, have a drink."

Melissa nodded and pulled a can from the bag and opened it. Kurz's eyes widened as she chugged the entire thing at once. Considering that a Foster's beer can was about twice the size of a normal beer it was rather impressive.

"Ahhh…" She said as she finished the beer and crumpled it in her hand before tossing it at Kurz's awestruck look. "Come on Weber, get your mind out of the gutter."

"But… but it's so much fun there." Kurz joked as he picked up the spent can and tossed it into the trash. "So, what's the plan?"

"We wait for Tessa or the Admiral to call." Melissa said.

"And if they don't?" Kurz asked quietly.

Mao scowled at him. "They will."

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 06:49 hrs<strong>

**10 kilometers North-West of Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, India**

**UN Flight 109, United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan**

The bright white Antonov An-2 Cub looked like something out of a comic strip. For one thing it was a biplane that could seat twelve people and had a pilot and co-pilot. For another thing it's white paint scheme and black UN markings made it stand out.

Farzen shook his head as he sat in the back of the aircraft that was mostly empty aside for the standard emergency survival kit. On the return trip the craft would be laden down with medical supplies and food stuffs. With a sigh he unzipped the duffel bag that sat between his feet and pulled out a second set of clothes and began to quickly change after making sure the door to the cockpit was locked.

He exchanged his afghan clothes for those of western make and swapped his pakul cap for a ball-cap. That done he stuffed the baggage with his afghan garments and sat back down. Glancing out the window he saw the vast airport as the plane made the final turn to begin its landing approach.

The door to the cockpit opened with a click and the co-pilot glanced back at him. "Buckle up. We'll be landing in a few minutes."

"Right." He said quickly as he tightened his straps. "Here's hoping this soviet piece of junk keeps flying long enough for us to land."

The pilot laughed. "You see Teller even the Afghans know this thing is a piece of shit."

"Just shut up and get us down."

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 17:22 hrs<strong>

**Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Base Briefing Room, Hangar 12-B**

"The President's speech wasn't that informative… but Jesus was he actually suggesting this group had nuclear weapons?"

Christian Amanpour shook her head slowly as she glanced down at the legal pad. "If they did wouldn't they have shown them to us?"

The producer furrowed his brow and shrugged. "Not sure how else to interpret 'intercepted nuclear weapons'."

"True." She glanced glanced down at the notes scribbled on her legal pad as the doors opened and a number of people were led inside. She blinked at the group, their dirtied and battered uniforms. There were five of them, a cross section of the troops that had opposed them the Major said. He said that among them were two fighter pilots, one arm slave pilot, and two front line soldiers. Slowly the group took their seats and glanced at Christian, their eyes widening somewhat in surprise as a few of them recognized her.

_Educated, American trained maybe?_ Her mind asked as she glanced amongst the group. She was surprised that among them were three women.

"Before we begin… I take it you weren't told why you were brought here?"

"Nyet." One of the women said and Christian blinked. Another of the women answered in a voice that's accent jogged her memory.

"They didn't tell us anything."

Christian had heard the distinct accent many times before and instantly recognized it as Albanian. Arching an eyebrow she glanced at the two women that had spoken. "You are Russian and Albanian?"

The two nodded and she sighed. "Alright, maybe first I should ask you your name, rank, birthplace, and where you received your training."

They nodded slowly their understanding and Christian Amanpour glanced over her shoulder at the camera to make sure it had begun recording.

"So who are you?"

They began on the far left of the group with the woman that had spoken with the Albanian accent. She was clad in the black G-suit of an Arm Slave pilot fitted with Kevlar and other protective equipment.

"Sergeant Mara Lesche, Special Response Team - Alaska, Mithril. I was born in Albania and fought in the Yugoslavian Civil War alongside the Kosovo Liberation Front."

"Specialist Robert Daniels, Primary Response Team - Alaska, Mithril. Everybody calls me Daniel." He smiled slightly and glanced down at the floor. "I was trained in the United States Army, left after ninety-three and joined Mithril."

"Sergeant Major Jessica York, Primary Response Team – Alaska, Mithril. I was trained in the United States Marine Corps till ninety-seven and joined Mithril two years ago."

Nodding slowly Christian Amanpour scribbled down: _Primary Response and Special Response Teams?_

"Lieutenant Colonel Albus Doran, Valkyrie Squadron Commander, Mithril. Trained by the Royal Navy, joined in ninety-three."

The woman beside him nodded and smiled slightly. "Lieutenant Lydia Rasinov, Valkyrie Squadron, Mithril. Trained by the Military Maritime Fleet of the USSR, stole a fighter from my unit and landed in South Korea, joined Mithril immediately afterward."

Christian Amanpour nodded and glanced down at his pad, filled now with the names of each of them. "A rather diverse group, to be honest I didn't know what to expect from your organization."

"Da… well, we all can speak English so that's not that much of a problem." Lydia joked and leaned back in her chair.

"What exactly is Mithril?"

The assembled group glanced among themselves before the Lieutenant Colonel stirred. "Mithril _was_ a military organization dedicated to the peacekeeping and military intervention against crisis and flashpoints before the situation escalated into full scale war. We were tasked by the United Nations and various world governments to assist in the removal of military threats to stability or the public safety. As you well know the United Nations has no real army but volunteered troops for such duties by member nations, as a result UN peacekeepers are unwilling to enter combat in most circumstances. When a peacekeeping mission required use of force and included heavy risks to the troops involved we were invariably called in."

"You say you worked for the United Nations?" Christian Amanpour asked glancing at the others.

"Sometimes, other times we were called in by local governments or acted independently. For the last year we've been engaged in active operations alongside the American military against terrorist organizations operating alongside the globe, including in Afghanistan and the South Pacific." The Lieutenant Colonel glared at the American soldiers that stood behind the camera crew. "The attack by America represented a betrayal."

"Damn straight, we bled and died to protect the world and they turned on us the moment the threat was over!" The Sergeant Major added. "It's a disgrace to those that carried out the orders! I thought you damn officers had a shred of decency!" She yelled at the Major who glanced nervously at the cameras.

Christian Amanpour jotted down more notes and glanced at the Major. "Could you give some examples of events that Mithril intervened in to save lives?"

The Lieutenant Colonel sighed. "Now that Mithril is gone, I suppose it can't hurt. We don't know everything, information was highly compartmentalized even within the organization, but we can tell you what we know."

"Da, maybe we should start with the most public ones then?" The Russian woman stated as she folded her arms over her chest and leaned back in the chair.

"In the last two years Mithril acted to protect civilians twice in Tokyo. Once was during the A-21 incident where a Plan 1051 Behemoth Arm Slave was let loose in downtown Tokyo. One of Mithril's units succeeded in destroying the Arm Slave. The second one was the Jindai High School incident where terrorists of the Amalgam network attacked and held hostage members of the school." He glanced over at the SRT pilot. "The JAL flight that was hijacked and landed in North Korea two years ago was rescued by members of the Pacific SRT. Mithril also intervened in the Hong Kong incident and the previous terrorist attack to disrupt the cease-fire in China. For the last year Mithril has been actively engaging Amalgam, a terrorist organization that backed many of those attacks. The United States provided military assistance in the struggle with Amalgam."

"Mithril's military strength has been draining for the last year, since the attack on Sydney. Our headquarters was the target of that particular assault." The Lieutenant Colonel sighed. "Most of our operations prior to the last few years have been much quieter than those. We've struck drug labs, terrorist cells, and intercepted nuclear weapons shipments."

Amanpour flipped the page of her legal pad and nodded slowly, the man was literally a fountain of information. She'd been in Hong Kong during the crisis and had actually seen the struggle between the arm slaves. She'd tried to track down the identity of the organizations involved due to the unknown models she had witnessed, and now she was told both organizations names flat out.

"You said you intercepted nuclear weapon shipments?" Her producer asked.

"Da, but what we took was handed over to IAEA. We have no nuclear weapons of our own." Lydia stated. "Despite what your president suggested."

Christian Amanpour pursed her lips. She'd definitely need to contact her friends in New York and the UN. "What is Amalgam?"

"Terrorism as a business you might say. They were a co-op of weapons developers and terrorists that intentionally ignited flashpoints to… create markets for their equipment. We don't know much but they had some connection with the Russian government as well since most of their equipment seems to be derived at least in part from soviet systems. We managed to finally break their back about a month ago. Eliminated their leadership and so forth…"

Christian Amanpour frowned as she scribbled on her note pad. This was a completely unexpected direction for the interviews to take. _They're not terrorists. At least they don't act like it. No political agenda really aside from peacekeeping._

"It sounds like you have quite a tale to tell."

A number of smiles appeared on the group. "You could say that."

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 11:40 hrs<strong>

**Yokota Air Base, Western Tokyo, Japan**

**3****rd**** Battalion, 160****th**** Special Operations Aviation Regiment**

Lieutenant John Elliot yawned and stretched in the cockpit of his AH-6J Little Bird. _Jet lag… You'd think I'd be used to it by now._

"Fuel's topped off and load-out is done." Warrant Officer Curt Saxton said from the co-pilot's seat a clipboard strapped to his knee. "We're ready to go."

"Swallow Flight to tower requesting permission for immediate departure." John said as he watched the Delta Force guys load up one of which had donned full civilian clothes.

"This is tower, Swallow flight is cleared for departure on bearing two-eight-zero."

"Thank you tower." He glanced back over his shoulder. "Boss, what's the mission?"

"Just delivering him." The Delta Force commander said gesturing to their member in civilian clothes. "CIA had some local assets that they've got watching the target. He's to rendezvous with them for surveillance of the opposition."

"Understood, you got the CIA's radio frequency so we know where to go?" He asked as he started pre-flight checks of the systems.

"Two-nine-three hertz is the frequency." Boss said. "Last report said they were on a train toward one of Tokyo's shopping districts."

"Right, we probably won't need ECS for this." Lieutenant Elliot said as he took hold of the cyclic and collective and started to throttle up. "Any sign that pretty chick has guards?"

"Well… she has a bit of a militant boyfriend."

Curt Saxton laughed. "Don't they all, my daughter hooked up with a nutty one."

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 12:10 hrs<strong>

**Shibuya, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Takeshita Street**

_It was a mistake to come here._ Kaname thought as she stared at Sousuke following behind her carrying her shopping bags. She'd managed to pick out some clothes that he hadn't complained too much of, but they were just as plain as he was. Cargo pants, sweaters, button up shirts, and a few jeans.

He was worse than useless when it came to helping her get clothes for herself. _Practicality has no place in woman's fashion, _she had told him. _Appearance is what matters, okay Sousuke?_

The lame brained otaku had taken that to mean camouflage. Sighing she closed her eyes and let out a long breath. "Sousuke, why can't you try to fit in?"

"Kaname, I am trying. I just do not understand what you meant by appearance…" The specialist glanced at her and closed his eyes. "If you meant by…"

"I did not mean concealment Sousuke." She said.

"I was not going to say…"

"What then? Blending in? Disguising weapons?" Kaname felt her eyebrow quiver for a moment as they stood.

"Not that either Kaname." Sousuke glanced at the bags for a moment and let out a long breath. "If you meant beauty or ascetics you know I am not the greatest judge but…" His voice dropped to nearly a whisper. "You look beautiful no matter what clothes you wear, at least to me."

Kaname blinked and nearly tripped on the sidewalk as she spun to face him seeing his blushing face glancing down at the concrete. "Sousuke?"

"Never mind, it's nothing." He stammered and straightened as if waiting for a dressing down by a senior officer.

"No it's not." She gasped. _ Maybe I heard wrong, I did not expect him to say something like that. _Kaname tightened her grip on her purse and felt the leather ache. "Speak up and repeat yourself."

Sousuke swallowed down a lump in his throat. "I said… you look beautiful no matter what you wear Kaname."

_He really did say what I thought he did!_ Her eyes widened and she smiled. "Sousuke… thank you." She felt the heat of a blush flood her cheeks and glanced down at the pavement. _Damn it, sometimes he can be so sweet… even when he's not trying to. With most boys that'd just be a line..._ She glanced back at him and felt her face glow with delight. _He means it._

"You're welcome Kaname." He relaxed at her reaction and sighed. Then he went rigid as she leaned over and kissed his cheek.

Kaname giggled at his reaction. "Come on, we need to find someplace to eat and a new cell phone for the both of us."

"Affirmative." Sousuke glanced both ways before they began to walk across an intersection with a side street side by side. As they reached the opposite side he glanced at her. "Kaname, we have not yet procured any foodstuffs for your apartment."

"Don't worry about it, we can get some stuff after we go home and drop this stuff off." She glanced at him before he nodded once in agreement. "Why so concerned anyway?"

"I… I have missed your cooking." Sousuke said as he blushed brightly once again.

_Twice in ten minutes!_ She felt her heart pound in her chest as she desperately wished she had a cell-phone once again. _This would be so Kyoko call worthy, I didn't think…_

Lost in her own thoughts she didn't notice the man that stepped out of a fashion store before her wearing a brightly colored suit and gold chains around his neck. Without looking she ran into him and the man cursed.

"Watch where you're going bitch!"

Before Kaname could say a word she heard the all too familiar sound of a round being chambered in a Glock pistol. Expecting to see a fully loaded pistol pointed into the man's face she opened her eyes and instead found the gaping black bore of the weapon pointed at her head, in the man's hands.

_Yakuza?_ Her mind asked as she registered the sound of two bags of clothes hitting the ground and the click of a safety being switched off.

"Lower your weapon and step away from Miss Chidori." Sousuke's voice barked and she could hear something in it that wasn't present any time before that a gun had been pointed in her direction. _Is he angry at the man?_

"Tough guy, what gang are you with huh? I'm with the…" The man started to brag and as he did she saw the gun's aim shift out of line with her. Scowling she drew her purse back and lashed out catching his gun arm and knocking the weapon from his hands. When the pistol hit the ground with a clatter of plastic and ceramic on concrete she smiled.

_I don't think I ever could get Sousuke to drop a gun that easily… amateur, moron, and an idiot... just like every other Yakuza that I've ever met. Well… beside Ren's dad…_ She smirked as the man gaped and he looked down at the pistol then back up into the yellow plastic of Kaname's stun gun.

"Kaname?" Sousuke asked, his voice sounding surprised.

"I am sick and tired of people trying to threaten me… or kidnap me… It really pisses me off! So let me say this once. Apologize, pickup your pistol, and leave… or I'll have my boyfriend here fill you full of holes and toss you into Tokyo bay so you can swim with the fishes." She grinned at herself for the last bit. _Thank you 'The Godfather', these fools could learn from a movie or two. I wonder if Tessa ever pulled the turning into the torpedoes trick from Red October._

"I… I apologize." The man said and grabbed the pistol before taking off and leaving the two of them by the storefront. With a sigh Kaname slipped the stun gun back into her purse.

"Kaname… that was… that was…"

_Amazing? Please make it three for three, you've been on such a roll today Sousuke._

"Really stupid, if he was a professional…"

_Damn it! _Incensed she pulled her harisen from her bag and slapped him atop the head. "Sousuke!"

He winced and rubbed his head cowering from her with the harisen. "Kaname…"

"Did you notice he forgot to remove his gun's safety? I've seen you pull the same weapon enough times I know when it's ready to go off!" Kaname growled. "Damn otaku… jerk you're rubbing off on me…"

"I… I was paying attention to you, that's why I didn't react fast enough. I'm sorry."

_Oh…_ _Three out of four isn't so bad. _Kaname felt herself blush then spun on him. "Well look alive, sergeant! In case he tries to get reinforcements!"

"Hai!" He answered immediately and straightened up as if he'd received an order from his superiors.

_Maybe he did._ A smirk slipped across her face as she glanced at the two bags beside him. "Now… pickup that stuff and let's find someplace to eat… preferably one that's yakuza-less."

* * *

><p>"Did you see that?" Kazama asked as he lowered his camera from beside the pole on the other side of the crosswalk.<p>

Beside him Kyoko grinned and pulled out her digital camera, her eyes smiling as she looked over the pair of black sunglasses she wore. "Are you kidding? I got it on camera, ten seconds of video!" She grinned as Shinji smirked and leaned against the pole.

"Can I see?" He asked lowering his camera and glancing at her in her 'secret agent' getup. Giggling she handed over her digital camera and replayed the short clip. "Awesome! Kaname acted before Sousuke even got a word in edgewise!" He grinned and handed it back. "Can I get some stills?"

"You bet!" Kyoko said. "I'm glad you called me when you saw them, Sousuke and Kaname clothes shopping in Shibuya? Golden opportunity!"

"It looks like they're going to get lunch… Kyoko, you think we should get something to eat?" Shinji asked as he glanced down at his camera. "I'm almost out of film… too."

"Okay, that sounds great." Kyoko brightened. "Maybe we should surprise those two, hmm?"

Shinji swallowed down a lump in his throat. _I hope Sagara doesn't get twitchy enough to pull his gun again._ Still the bright grin on Kyoko's face eased his mind. "That sounds like a great idea."

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 12:21 hrs<strong>

**Shibuya, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Roof, 305 Meiji Dori**

On a rooftop several blocks away Wraith let out a sigh, she'd considered for half a second to drop the idiotic mafia 'soldier' when Sousuke had been a bit slow on the draw. Then again he had been carrying their shopping and it is hard to draw a pistol with two hands full of clothes.

"Nice one Kaname." Sighing again she shifted her aim a bit and smirked as she caught Kyoko and Shinji in the background shadowing the couple. _Those two, they'd make a fine pair if they stopped to think about it. I wonder if Sousuke has noticed them yet. He does seem awfully distracted today._

Plus, killing a yakuza thug would cause trouble for her. The police would realize there was somebody around with a high power rifle and start looking for her. Especially if they thought she worked for a rival Yakuza gang or something. A rubber bullet wouldn't have the impact needed to drop him either, not at this range.

A whine of an ultra-quiet motor caught her attention and she glanced up as a pair of AH-6J Little Birds cruised overhead. Pursing her lips for a moment she watched the two American choppers turn over the district and one slowed to a stop at the top of an apartment complex. Uncertain she lifted the rifle to her shoulder and stared through the eyepiece watching as a Caucasian man dressed as a civilian stepped off the aircraft and walked away just as it lifted off again.

Swallowing she returned her focus to the couple as they walked up a set of stairs to the entrance of a Yoshinoya, one of the donburi chain restaurants common throughout Japan. She twitched the scope and swung it slowly scanning the area… _Caucasian men… Caucasian men…_

She froze as a Japanese looking man leaned against the stairs up to the restaurant and ran a hand through his long black hair. Something about him set off alarms in her mind. The way he stood and his overall height compared to those around him screamed foreigner but the face and hair cut yelled local.

_He stands out like Sousuke does._ She bit her lip and centered on the man watching carefully as Kyoko and Shinji stepped past him and into the restaurant.

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 12:23 hrs<strong>

**Shibuya, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Yoshinoya ****Gyūdon**

Sousuke leaned over the counter and skimmed the menu his pulse racing quietly from the close call with the yakuza thug. Sighing he glanced over at Kaname chewing her lip for a moment as she turned the menu over in her hand.

_I should ask her to carry one of the bags, if she hadn't had me carrying the bags my gun would have been out quicker._ He shook his head once at that thought. _It wasn't the bags that slowed me down._

The door behind them opened and he glanced over his shoulder and blinked as Kyoko and Shinji stepped inside. Shinji wore civilian clothes and he reflected on how the two of them looked different outside their school uniforms. The black clothes that Kyoko wore he was quite familiar with having seen her wear them on the stakeout where he acquired Bonta-kun.

"Miss Tokiwa, Shinji." He said and nodded to each as Kaname spun around in her seat and grinned at the two of them.

"Kyoko!" She said. "Fancy seeing you here!"

"Well, I was in the neighborhood. Kana-chan, nice job with that guy by the way." She smirked as Kaname's eyebrow rose.

"You saw that?" She said. "Wait… you two aren't following us around or something are you?"

"Would I do that?" Kyoko asked with a bright grin on her face.

Sousuke nodded once. "Affirmative."

Kaname nodded vigorously. "Uh-huh… so you were snapping shots of the two of us huh?"

"Yes… it's for a project. I had the others done for graduation but I think with you two I've got a bit more time. I'll miss you when college starts." Kyoko giggled. "I don't have any photos of you for a whole year I got to make up for that!"

Shinji sat his camera on the counter beside Sousuke and sat down. "Sagara, I take it you heard the news about… well… your friends."

Kyoko stopped and looked perplexed as Kaname let out a sigh and shook her head. "Yeah, we heard."

Sousuke felt beads of sweat on his forehead and he stared straight ahead. "I have friends in Alaska, and have not received word of their fate as of yet. Admiral Borda is something of family for Tessa. I haven't heard from them either."

"Kurz and Melissa?" Kyoko asked slowly realizing what they were talking about.

"Negative, I know they are well and heard from them after word of the operation hit the news." Sousuke shook his head. "You have not met my friends in Alaska. If they escaped it'd be my pleasure to introduce you to them."

"Are they older than Melissa? She seemed pretty old." Kyoko asked. "I had no idea Tessa was caught up in this."

Kaname let out a sigh. "You remember the 'special relationship' Sousuke said he had with her."

"You completely misunderstood what I meant. Admittedly with the little information you had it was quite understandable." Sousuke stated.

Kyoko sighed. "I take it Tessa wasn't telling the truth about it."

Kaname's eyebrow twitched. "Tessa is a captain in Mithril, she was Sousuke's commanding officer."

"She… she was an officer?" Shinji gaped. "But… she's the same age as Kaname."

"Same birthday too." Kyoko said.

Kaname snickered. "I made the same mistake when I first met her."

"The captain seemed to enjoy playing you for a fool then." Sousuke stated flatly.

"Don't remind me…" Kaname said as she rolled her eyes. "As for who his friends are… I don't know them either."

"You have not met one of them, but you know the other." Sousuke stated quietly. "One of them is Kaname's age as well. The other… is significantly younger."

"Younger?" All three of his friends asked.

"He is three years old I believe, though I do not think that thinking of him as a three year old would help you. He is an AI." Sousuke stated. "You may have seen his previous body before…"

"Al?" Kaname asked.

Sousuke nodded. "Yes, his name is Al. He was the artificial intelligence loaded into the ARX-7 Arbalest. After the battle Wraith recovered him and took him to Alaska."

"And the other?" Kaname asked.

"Her name is Sarah Miller. I believe Shinji would be very excited to meet her." He paused at the confused look on his friend's face. "She is an Arm Slave designer."

"Really?" Shinji's eyes went wide. "That's so cool! All AS designers are hidden away, I mean the magazines never are able to interview or even contact them. No one even knows the name of the guy who designed the M6 Bushnell or M9 Gernsback!"

Kaname scowled and dropped her voice to a whisper before leaning beside him. "Is that true?"

Sagara nodded. "We know the names for the designers of the Soviet Arm Slaves but nothing more. We know even less about those that made their western competitors."

"Do you think they're whispered too?" Kaname asked. "I mean they would have been just seven or eight when the first Arm Slaves went into production."

"I don't know, but your supposition seems to bare merit. It would be inconvenient for governments to explain why a child is responsible for designing such war machines." Sousuke said.

"No kidding." Kaname ran a hand through her hair and leaned back. "Who made the Arbalest?"

"A whispered named Bani Morauta, he… died shortly after producing the unit." Sousuke shook his head. "I think that was why they had so much trouble and couldn't modify the unit so someone else could pilot it."

"What happen? Amalgam or somebody find him?" Kaname asked.

Sousuke shook his head. "He was a pacifist and couldn't take the guilt of creating weapons. He committed suicide."

Kaname scowled. "That's terrible. Did Mithril push him to make it or what?"

"I do not know." Sousuke stated. "But I have seen the way the high command functioned. It would not surprise me if that was the case." He sighed. "They were very resistant to me staying here as your guard after Hong Kong." His voice caught in his throat. "I believe they intended to… write you off. Wraith alone would have been worthless in an attack… though it turned out I was not much better."

Kyoko and Shinji watched as Kaname reached over and squeezed his hand. "Never say that, you did your best… If it hadn't been you…" She closed her eyes. "No one would have come after me, and we'd all be dead now."

Kyoko glanced at Shinji as their two friends shared a pained look. It was an image that she wished she could erase from her memory… Unlike those she strove to preserve with a camera flash.

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 08:07 hrs<strong>

**Fayzabad, Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan**

**Home of General Majhid**

Sabine moaned as she stirred from her slumber. Her head throbbed from a headache and she felt the familiar floating sensation from waking after a whispered trance for a moment as her mind slowly wrapped itself around the red-brown ceilings and walls. _The damn whispers are back, and I can sense her again… damn Chidori._ She rubbed her head and let out a long sigh before glancing down at the sling which held her arm.

"Ah, you are awake." A woman's voice said from the opposite side of the room. Blinking for a moment Sabine glanced at her and arched an eyebrow. She was clad in the typical clothes for an Afghan woman that had forgone the burqa and had a headscarf wrapped around her head. She smiled faintly. "My husband said you should rest, considering what he had to do to stop you."

_Husband?_ Sabine let out a slow breath. "You are Massoud's wife?"

"Correct." She shook her head and grinned. "My name is Sediqa…" She stood and glanced out the window of the house. The door burst open and an eleven year old boy ran inside, lugging a jug of water. "Ahmad! Walk!"

The boy slowed and glanced up at her speaking quickly in Farsi. Sighing, the woman glanced at Sabine. "We have a guest, use English."

"Uh… yes, I am sorry." The boy bowed his head to Sabine then hurried deeper into the home's interior.

Sabine blinked in surprise as the boy disappeared behind a doorway. "He speaks English?"

"Their father has been quite insistent in teaching them so much…" She shrugged her shoulders and sat down. "I am glad you didn't succeed in taking him from them."

"You are awfully friendly for being the wife of the man I tried to kill." Sabine stated quietly.

She nodded. "Yes, well… after Kashim we realized not all those that tried to do him harm were bad people. Most are just broken."

_Broken?_ Sabine made a face and shook her head swiftly. "I am not broken."

"Maybe." Sediqa said. "But somehow I doubt it... Ahmad said you are an Arm Slave pilot and that you could teach his soldiers in their use. I hope you don't betray the trust he is showing in you."

Sabine scowled. "I'm not sure you people understand the word trust."

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 12:43 hrs<strong>

**Kadena Air Base, Nakagami District, Okinawa**

**733****rd**** Air Mobility Squadron**

"Alright, load her up… careful now!" The crew chief of the C-17 Globemaster III called out as the enormous cargo pallet rolled forward. Strapped to it like a man on a gurney, lay the ARX-8 Laevantein. Its cockpit was marred by a deep gash from a monomolecular cutter and dirt and mud was caked to the boats of the mech.

Two men wearing the dull green of NBC suits walked alongside it with radiation detectors in hand. The crew chief swallowed involuntarily as he heard the crackle of their instruments. _Damn radioactive cargo huh? Shit._

"Come on, I want this thing secured so we can start rolling. Command wants it at the Mithril Base in Alaska for study." He called out as the bulky pallet locked into place. "Uh… is it safe?"

"Yeah, radiation levels are just a tad higher than background from these instruments. It's like sitting next to a microwave." One of the NBC equipped soldiers said.

_So I get to sit next to a giant microwave for ten or twelve hours while we get this monstrosity to Alaska. Great…_

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 14:31 hrs<strong>

**Mithril Headquarters, Sydney, Australia**

**Reception Area**

Tessa swallowed down a lump in her throat as she picked her way across the rubble strewn floor, stumbling as she stepped across a fallen wire. Over a year had passed since Amalgam had struck and yet here the shattered remains of Mithril Headquarters remained, un-cleared, and just as desolate as they had been left. Outside on the airstrip an MV-22 Osprey sat with its ground crew, the only staff that remained at the smashed base. Some buildings looked unharmed but this one, the main building where the high command had kept their offices was smashed by fire and bombs.

"Uncle Jerry?" Tessa asked quietly as she stepped across the ruined remains of a computer. "Why are we here?"

"I left some files here that could be of use, plus we need to procure equipment for Mao and Weber's mission along with false identities for them to use." He pushed aside a smashed desk drawer with his cane and stepped gingerly through the remains of a pair of shattered glass doors. "Moreover there may be equipment in the research section that you may find of use, and the Osprey crew did say the communications room was still functional. It'd be a good place to contact Weber and Mao from."

Tessa nodded noting that he had dropped their ranks when speaking of them, perhaps with so few of us left they are a bit unnecessary. _That or he is thinking of those plans he mentioned earlier._ A piece of the hanging ceiling fell to the floor with a crash and she jumped aside as a rat scurried through the wreckage that littered the hall.

She yelped… "Rat!"

"I'm not surprised." Admiral Borda stated as he kicked a piece of rubble with his cane and stepped to one of the office doors. Scowling at the jammed piece of wood he forced the cane in through the jam and levered it before the door groaned and opened. Shaking his head he stepped inside into the room that had once been his office. A large piece of rubble lay where it had fallen smashing the desk and long dried blood lay beneath it where his leg had been mangled. Splinters of metal perforated the floor and walls where the bomb had thrown them. One of them had removed his eye.

"Uncle Jerry?" Tessa asked quietly as she leaned around the doorway and stared inside at the shattered room and stifled a cry at the long dried blood. "This is…"

"Where I was injured? Yes." He hobbled past the ruined desk to an old fashioned filing cabinet beside the smashed window and pulled it open. "It is a good thing I always made certain to have paper media backups, since that computer is certainly far from functional. Oh, could you check the desk? There should be a bottle of whiskey and a Kimber .45 caliber pistol along with some spare ammunition.

Tessa nodded and stepped to the desk and opened one drawer after another tugging with all her might to pull them open. After a few minutes she found the pistol and whiskey bottle and set them atop the desk while the Admiral put a pen light in his mouth and skimmed through the documents grumbling through his clenched jaw.

A rat ran along the edge of the desk and she stared at it as it sat on the ledge sniffing the air for a moment and staring at her. _Is this what we've been reduced to? Rats rummaging through the wreckage and debris?_ She let out a long sigh and picked up the pistol in her hands and sighed. "Uncle Jerry?"

"Hmm?" He muttered as he turned to see her with the pistol clasped in her hands. Seeing her there he pulled the pen light from his mouth and arched an eyebrow.

"There's still hope right?" Tessa whimpered. "I… I don't want to be on the run for the rest of my life…" She sobbed tightening her grip on the pistol.

"Of course there's still hope. We have friends Tessa, governments that owe us a great deal for what we did to help them. It's not over." He swallowed as he spoke and set down the folder he had found before hobbling to her side and laying a hand on the gun in her hands. "Trust me, there's still hope." Slowly he pulled it from her hand and slipped it into his waist band.

Tessa wiped away the tears that had run down her cheeks. "Who will take us in? Who can risk the wrath of the United States?"

"I can think of a few nations that would leap at such a chance, but most are not the most hospitable." He stepped back to the filing cabinet. "Don't forget that the Japanese government owes us a great debt for stopping the attack by A-21 and assisting in the defense of Tokyo against Amalgam. They likely are our best chance." He let out a sigh as he found the pair of files he'd been looking for and pulled them out. "This possibility was not unanticipated, but I think we have what we'll need for this to work." He skimmed through the two folders for a minute and nodded. "Yes, all we'll need for this to work." He hobbled toward the door. "Come on Tessa, we need to contact Wraith and see what she intends to do."

"What? Why?" Tessa asked.

"General Amit's intelligence department has no place in this contingency plan. I was thinking we'd ask her if she'd like to join in what we'll be doing."

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 13:40 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 404, Mansion K Apartments**

Kaname let out a contented sigh as she tapped the buttons of her new phone entering Sousuke's, Kyoko's, Mizuki's, and Maya's numbers. Behind her Sousuke set the shopping bags on the table in the living area.

They had been in the room for maybe a minute when the door burst open and an Asian looking woman stomped inside, an SVD Dragunov slung around her back. She pushed past Sousuke as he gaped at her and walked over to the window peering out through the curtains, an unreadable expression on her face.

"Wraith!" Sousuke yelled. "What the hell is…"

"You really are worthless as a bodyguard." She muttered and glared at Kaname for a moment. "You both were followed today, I'm not sure but from how they operated in tandem while tailing you I'd say they were CIA or some other American affiliated group." She stepped back from the curtain and glared at Sousuke who stood there stunned for a second before rushing to the window.

"Which ones?" He asked glancing out the window and looking around.

"The tall long-haired Japanese man with sunglasses at three o'clock and the Caucasian man at eleven o'clock." Wraith stated flatly as Kaname felt her lip quiver.

_I haven't even been back a full week! Can't I ever get a damn break?_

Sousuke nodded and stepped back from the window. "Do you have anything else to report?"

"The Caucasian man was dropped off by an AH-6 and I saw a second one orbiting nearby."

"AH-6?" Kaname asked.

"AH-6J 'Little Bird' it is a small chopper utilized by American Special Forces, most specifically Delta Force." Sousuke said as he glanced back out the window and looked up into the sky for a moment.

Kaname felt her throat tighten. _Damn it, they're following us… how long till they try and snatch me in the middle of the night._ She swallowed. "Sousuke?"

"It's not a problem." He said as he squeezed her shoulder and glanced at Wraith. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention."

"It's my job." Wraith stated as her phone rang. Scowling she pulled it out and opened it. "Wraith here."

_What'll happen now? We still need to get groceries._


	11. Chapter 9: Sword and Shield

_Author's Note: I know I may be pushing Kaname's experience in America up to the forefront a bit in these chapters, there's good reason for it... in my preplanning I wrote a short story that we'll get to eventually focusing on Kaname and Sousuke visiting America after September 11th. That story has the preliminary tittle "Everyone is now Sagara Sousuke"._**  
><strong>

**Sword and Shield**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9:<strong> Sword and Shield

* * *

><p><strong>Sword<strong> 1. _n._ (weaponry) A long-bladed weapon having a handle and sometimes a hilt and designed to stab, cut or slash. 2 _n. _Someone paid to handle a sword.

**Shield** 1. _n._ A broad piece of defensive armor, carried on the arm, formerly in general use in war, for the protection of the body. 2. _n. _Anything which protects or defends; defense; shelter; protection. 3. _n. _Figuratively, one who protects or defends. 4. _n._ (obsolete) A coin, the old French crown, or écu, having on one side the figure of a shield. 5. _n._ A field of energy which protects or defends.

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 13:43 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo**

**Room 404, Mansion K Apartments**

Wraith swallowed down a lump in her throat as she put the phone to her ear. The voice that came through was clear and unfiltered by a voice filter, and she recognized it immediately.

"Opera House to Wraith."

"Wraith here." She breathed and glanced at Sousuke and Kaname as they stared at her.

Admiral Jerome Borda's voice let out a sigh. "Mithril is disbanding, you are hereby released from your current contract. However… Angel and other whispered require continue protection. If you so choose we'd like to offer you a contract with the subsequent replacement organization."

Wraith's eyes narrowed as she glanced at Kaname and bit her lip. _Damn it, the situation is bad. I can't really be expected to keep doing this without a contract can I?_

"Opera House, be advised… Angel is currently under surveillance by hostile forces. Identity is unconfirmed but I suspect Delta and SOAR are involved." Wraith ran her tongue along her teeth. "Can I expect any reinforcements?"

"Negative Wraith, has Urzu Seven been informed of the situation?" Admiral Jerome Borda answered quickly.

"He has."

"Very well, we'll have to move quickly. Be advised that White Gold and the Old Mariner are on their way to you. We're hoping to negotiate with the Japanese government for sanctuary."

Wraith nodded as she sorted through what were clearly improvised call signs: _White Gold, platinum… that must be Tessa with her distinctive hair color and Old Mariner… that must be the Admiral._ She rattled her brain for a moment as she thought about what the Admiral was saying. They were going to negotiate with the government. It could work… and depending on what sort of protection they offer it could make these damn vultures back away. However, for them to target Kaname when her father was a player at the United Nations…

"Wraith, your answer if you please?"

She focused on her immediate problem and let out a sigh. "I'm not the sort to sign a contract without reading it over… what would my duties be?"

"For now you would simply continue with your current duty as being Kaname's less visible protector and sniper support for Sousuke in-case of an abduction attempt. We'll be open to renegotiating the contract at a later date."

Wraith closed her eyes. "Understood, provisionally I accept."

"Understood, written orders will arrive within the next few hours for you and Urzu Seven, you may then inform him of the new organization." Admiral Jerome Borda said.

"Acknowledged." Wraith said. "Will an ETA be enclosed?"

"Yes, thank you Wraith, out." With that, the link clicked shut.

"Wraith?" Sousuke asked as she slipped her phone into her pocket. "Are there reinforcements en-route?"

She shook her head. "No, there are no reinforcements because there is no organization." Wraith glanced between the two of them. "Admiral Borda just disbanded Mithril, officially. He's working to assemble a replacement organization from the remnants to protect… well… people like Kaname."

Both of their faces dropped somewhat at the news. They'd known it was coming but for it to be official now… Sousuke shook his head. "Does this mean you'll be…?"

"No, you're stuck with me. They're going to offer the two of us a contract to well… keep doing what we've been doing." Wraith folded her arms over her chest. "You're her bodyguard still and I'll be the one that figures out when real threats are about since you're obviously terrible at it."

Sousuke's eyes flared with anger but he said nothing. Instead, Kaname spoke up. "Really? What did you do when Sousuke tried to save me from Amalgam? Where were you when that bastard Leonard Tesstarossa walked into this room like he owned the place?"

"My orders did not permit me to intervene. I did help save Kyoko after-all. Once it was clear High Command was incapable of organizing a rescue." A smirk appeared on Wraith's face. "Now that Mithril is disbanded, they haven't given me any rules of engagement to follow so if shit gets serious…"

"It's already serious!" Kaname yelled. "There are two CIA Operatives outside just waiting for me and Sousuke to step out the door! You said so yourself."

"If they try anything Miss Chidori they'll get a rifle round for their trouble." Wraith stated tapping the SVD and heading back to the door. "I've got to go before one of them looks in a window and sees me here."

Kaname scowled as Wraith shut the door behind her.

* * *

><p>"This is bad." Kaname said as she glared at the door. "Really bad."<p>

"Affirmative." Sousuke said quietly. "I was hoping that Kurz and Melissa would be on the way." He tapped his side and frowned.

"Sousuke, would it be better if I took your backup? Two guns maybe?" Kaname asked quietly. "A stun gun won't stop a team of Delta guys will it? I mean it's only a one shot weapon…"

"No! Absolutely not!" Sousuke said shaking his head vigorously.

"Sousuke?" Kaname blinked and stared at him for a moment. "I don't understand… You used to encourage me to…"

Sousuke closed his eyes and shook his head again. "No… no Kaname, please don't ask me to dirty your hands like that… please." Kaname's eyes widened somewhat and he swallowed. "I didn't understand then… but now… now… I don't want blood to be on your hands."

"Sousuke, there already is blood enough on them!" Kaname said. Her voice breaking as she spoke. "You know Sophia made me shoot you and Tessa… but, I shot Leonard!"

Sousuke froze, his eyes widening as she continued. "He, he gave me a pistol… some sort of revolver and stood between me and you in Mexico… he said all I had to do was to get past him and he slowly started counting down… I tried to shoot him and I couldn't and then when he reached out to take the gun back, smug as ever, as if he'd just made a huge bet and won… I shot him!" Tears streamed down her face and she swallowed back a lump. "I… in… in the forehead, and that son of a bitch lived!" She squeezed her eyes shut trying to stem the tears. "And then… then… your father showed up and threw me in the helicopter with him. I thought they'd kill me so I stole a gun from one of them and threatened to bring down the helicopter with it if they didn't let me talk to you."

_I thought she was delirious when she said she held them hostage for the radio. _He swallowed back the lump in his throat. "I… I remember." Remember he did, it had been a moment that was burned into his brain, her pained voice crackling through the radio lines. _It was at that moment we both admitted the truth… it was when we confessed we loved each other._ He felt his eyes water for the first time since he was a child and looked down at the floor his hands clenched into fists. His heart seemed to groan with pain as he looked back at her. _Leonard, that bastard… I wish I had been the one that shot him instead of Kalinin. Dirtying her hands with his blood like that, trying to make her a killer… like him… like me._

A single tear ran down his cheek. "I… I never wanted that."

"Sousuke, you once told me that to a third rate person was one who: 'licked their lips before the enemy'. What does a first rate person do?" Kaname asked quietly.

"He pulls the trigger…" He edited the phrase as he spoke erasing the mantra that the KGB instructors had drilled into him as a child as he did. "A first rate person pulls the trigger, not because he likes killing, not because he hates the enemy, but so others don't have to…"

* * *

><p>Kaname fisted his shirt and looked up into Sousuke's pained eyes. She'd once asked him how many people he'd killed, he'd given a terrible number and yet the man, and she now knew he was very much a man, had remained the gentle timid soul he was. Any other man who killed for a living she'd met would have turned their pistol on her after the first strike with the harisen. She'd once hated the stoic expression he'd worn, the mask… Melissa had once joked about being on 'Sousuke watch' trying to figure out his emotions. Now she'd seen the mask slip before, his raging hatred at Gauron, the stunned and broken expression at the sight of her in Hong Kong, and the cocky smirk that had slipped out when he'd arrived at Jindai High School just days before.<p>

Now the mask had shattered. He'd fought to keep her from having the pull the trigger, he'd fought to protect his friends, to keep his comrades alive, and he'd fought for nations and for pay. A heavy weight seemed to descend upon his shoulders as he looked down at her, a tear running down his cheek soon joined by another one.

"I… I never wanted that." The words had bounced around inside her head as she stared up at his stricken face, understanding him better than she had before. He wasn't a mercenary, not really… those fought for pay and pay alone. He wasn't a hit-man or assassin, a murderer or serial killer. Other terms like warrior or terrorist failed to fit him. Even bodyguard failed to fit him since he cared and protected her from more than bullets and knives as best he could. No, the one word he'd always used to describe himself did like a glove. He was a soldier… a soldier fights to protect others because it's their duty.

And he felt like he'd failed her yet again.

Kaname slowly reached up and ran her hand along his cheek rubbing away tears. "Sousuke… if it means one less time you'd have to stain your hands I'd pull the trigger. You've spent so much time protecting me, let me return the favor."

He shivered under her touch. "Kaname… you, you've saved me already. I can't ask you to do that, not for me." Sousuke's head dropped and he let out a long sigh refusing to meet her eyes. _He looks so vulnerable, so… hurt._

She leaned against him and stood on her toes and whispered in his ear. "You don't have to ask." Her hand slipped into one of his pockets and pulled out the Glock subcompact. As it left his possession he leaned forward and settled his forehead against hers.

Guilt and inadequacy flowed from him as he stood there with his eyes closed and Kaname sighed, her hand wrapping around the pistol and lowering it to her side. His voice cracked as he whispered. "I'd do anything to protect you."

"So would I… you baka." Kaname said quietly slipping the gun into her pocket.

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 15:03 hrs<strong>

**Mithril Headquarters, Sydney, Australia**

**Communications Room**

Tessa nervously toyed with her braided hair as she watched the Admiral type on the laptop sitting atop a table in the middle of the room. Overall the communications room had survived relatively intact, the computers and encryption systems sitting idle until the small team that had arrived weeks earlier had moved in and setup a generator bringing the place back online.

"Should we abort Melissa and Kurz's mission? Sagara alone is not enough to hold off an attack by Delta Force." Tessa said quietly as she watched the Admiral work.

"I know, but we only may have one opportunity to remove the TDD-1 from the picture." He sighed and his one remaining eye shifted to gaze at Tessa. "Our best hope is to get the Japanese government to offer them sanctuary. Once they do we can use that as leverage to hopefully end Washington's attempts to secure the whispered."

_That may work if they declare their intentions to the United States, there is probably information they could release that would be worrying to the Americans. _Tessa closed her eyes and nodded. "Won't our destruction of the TDD-1 push them to continue… perhaps focusing more on me to get a replacement?"

"Maybe." The admiral conceded. "Still it needs to be done."

"I know."

The Admiral finished typing on his laptop and let out a long sigh. "It's done." He tapped a key and the machines in the room buzzed to life as a message was sent to every Mithril facility across the globe. Swallowing back a lump Tessa leaned over one of the machines as it printed a copy of the message.

_TO: All Mithril Personnel_

_FROM: Mithril Command Authority_

_In response to the attack by the United States and preceding casualties and losses to the forces of Amalgam all personnel are hereby released from service as per contract stipulation 182-92-C: The compromise and inability of Mithril to operate as originally conceived. All equipment checked out and issued to individual soldiers is hereby released to those individuals who utilized it. Non-Disclosure Agreements for security levels 1 through 5 are also hereby terminated. All documents and data of a nature consistent with security levels 6 and higher is to be destroyed as well as equipment containing military secrets. Pilot crews and ground staff now have full ownership of their aircraft if of the MV-22, MH-6, G. IV or other types with non-military applications, all other aircraft and military vehicles should be destroyed._

_Good Luck and God Speed… It has been an honor to serve with you._

_Effective Commander-in-Chief, Mithril_

_Jerome Borda, Admiral (Ret.), United States Navy_

Then the admiral picked up the phone once again and selected a number from the list of contacts.

"It's over then." Tessa said quietly, thinking of what her life had been for the last few years, the missions the fighting, and the undeniable experience that had brought her to this point and the one organization she served that was now no more.

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 15:07 hrs<strong>

**Kings Cross, Sydney, Australia**

**Room 209, Springfield Lodge**

Mao cursed and scrambled across the bed, her hand reaching for the satellite phone as its keening tone echoed in the small room. Kurz leaned back in a chair balancing an empty Fosters beer can atop his head and sighed.

Gritting her teeth she picked up the receiver and lifted it to her ear. "Urzu Two…"

"This is command, report to Mithril Headquarters for equipment pickup and briefing." The gruff voice of Admiral Jerome Borda answered.

"What's this about contract termination I just got?" Mao said as she lifted the crimpled print out in her hands.

"It's true. We're organizing a smaller elite team to serve as a replacement organization. We'll fill you in once you arrive."

"Understood." Mao said as the connection cut. Grinning she set the phone down and turned to Kurz. "Come on, we've got a ferry ride to grab. The rendezvous is at the old base headquarters."

"Shit, got some oxy pills… we hit the Fosters hard." Kurz said before he toppled out of his chair and the beer can he'd been balancing on his forehead rolled across the floor.

"Yeah, instant sober pills… of course I've got some." Mao said with a devious grin. "Come on, they can't taste as bad as the next set of pills we'll be taking."

Kurz sighed. "Yeah, what would those be?"

"Anti-rad." Mao said with a smile.

"Fuck!"

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 16:09 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo**

**Den-en Supermarket, Kan-Pachi Dori**

Kaname glanced around as she picked up a small basket at the entrance while Sousuke nervously did the same. Seeing no one following them for the moment Kaname slipped inside, her hands nervously gripping tightly to the plastic and took a deep breath.

_Calm down… calm down. If we're being followed tipping them off would be bad, right?_

She picked up a set of coupons as she stepped inside and glanced around. _Great, they remodeled over the last year…_ She pursed her lips and glanced at Sousuke. _We need just about everything since well… nothing keeps in a refrigerator for a year. I wonder who cleared it out while I was gone, not dad or Kyoko since she was hurt… maybe Maya?_

"Kaname?" Sousuke asked as he glanced over at her.

"Hmm?" She murmured and turned to face him. "What is it Sousuke?"

"You looked distracted…" Sousuke said quietly.

"Oh, I was just wondering who cleaned out my refrigerator while I was gone." Kaname shrugged. "Is there anything in particular you'd like me to make Sousuke?"

"No. I'll eat anything you make, it's not a problem." Sousuke ran a hand along the hem of his shirt and glanced at the various foodstuffs laid out on the shelves.

Kaname sighed. He looked so lost and confused amongst the goods as if he had no idea what they were. _Maybe he didn't… he's such a clueless otaku sometimes._

She flinched at her own thoughts and squashed them as best she could, he'd bared his soul to her… to find fault with him afterward felt like a betrayal. _I betrayed him once to save him and everyone else at the school. Never again, not after all he went through for my sake._ She let out a sigh and glanced at the produce her mind slowly turning over the options.

_What do we do next?_ Kaname asked herself as she picked up a small tub of wasabi. _I mean, no Mithril just this new organization. America is watching me, the whispers are back…_ She sighed and glanced over at Sousuke as he ran a hand along the counter before coming to a stop at a jar of pickles.

_Hell, I had no idea what I'd do with my life when I went to school a few days back just in time to see all my friends graduate._ She pursed her lips and frowned as she glanced over at Sousuke once again. _When he got off that bike I was so glad, another year with him in school that sounded like a plan. Maybe during that time I could figure out what to do with my life._

"Kaname?" Sousuke asked quietly. "Is something wrong?"

"No… nothing." Kaname said and when his concerned expression failed to dissipate she sighed. "I was just thinking about what's next? What should I do with my life?"

The blank expression that greeted her from Sousuke told her that he hadn't really thought of that either. "I do not know, all I really care is that I'll be by your side."

Kaname blushed at that and sighed. _Typical, most girls go looking at their future being a wife of a businessman or something. What sort of future do I have being the wife of my… bodyguard? Oh God! What'll dad do when he finds out Sousuke is living with me?_

"Kaname?"

_Maybe I could be a scientist or something, find a way to cure the whispers or use them to make something besides war machines. Maybe a Lambda Driver as a backstop to a gun range or… a safety system to contain a nuclear meltdown or something. I wonder if I could make a non-lethal ray gun… good for a police officer, stupid tazer and its single shot, Tessa said my specialty seemed to be the Lambda Driver though, stupid device… Maybe I could make one powered by human stupidity, it'd have to be stronger than the one on Arbalest or its replacement… the Laevatein?_

"Kaname?"

"Nani?" She asked her mind snapping back to the here and now.

"Do not look, but it seems one of the operatives has found us." Sousuke said as he leaned against her.

Kaname's brow twitched in irritation. _Why can't they just leave me alone? Damn it!_ Her irritation growing she glanced at the basket in her hands and the few ingredients she'd managed to pick up. _Food first, evil American spies later._ "Let's finish picking up some things and we can try and throw them off on the way home."

"Understood." Sousuke said slipping a hand into the pockets of his cargo pants and pulling out a smoke grenade and rolling it in his hand before returning it to the pocket.

Kaname's eyebrow twitched again as she caught sight of the grenade being slipped into his pocket. "Sousuke… don't use your equipment, if you do they'll know you are more than just my…" She blushed. "Than just my boyfriend…"

Sousuke swallowed once then nodded. "Very well, it'll be more difficult for us, but the advantage of surprise may be valuable enough to warrant taking your advice."

_So otaku… so Sousuke…_

She grinned and walked along the aisle to the meat section and skimmed through them… everything seemed more expensive. With a shrug she picked up some chicken breasts and a set of side pork… it wasn't bacon like she tried in America but it would be something nice instead of the usual. As she set the two items in the basket she glanced at the polished metal of the freezer and caught sight of a long haired Japanese man perusing the aisles.

_That must be him. I wonder where the other one is. Maybe being a gaijin would make following us in stupid, he would stick out._

Kaname swallowed down a lump in her throat and picked up a carton of eggs as well as some shishimi grade salmon that was on sale.

_This is going to be expensive, but Sousuke always says money is no object._ She shrugged again then glanced down an aisle looking for her favorite brand of rice and some of the spices she used in her curry rice recipe.

_Such a simple dish, maybe that's why Sousuke likes it so much… who else eats plain rolls?_ She bit back a snicker as she picked up the rice and closed her eyes. Sousuke appeared at her side with a number of juices and tea mixes. Smiling Kaname nodded her approval of the selection and he blushed slightly.

"I have an idea." Sousuke whispered quietly.

_Uh oh._

"When we get to the cash register, I'll claim that I saw our pursuer slip some of the wares into his pocket. When they stop and question him we should be able to elude them, so long as his backup is not within line of sight."

_That…_ She felt her cheeks heat up and she glanced at him. _So simple, it'd probably work too._ She grinned because she knew that those that worked here were familiar with her 'bodyguard' so if they found nothing there'd be no trouble.

"Perfect." She said as they stepped up next to the dairy aisle and she glanced at the available wears. _Not much, some yogurt, some milk, and a few things of cheese… I almost miss the American fetish with cheese I learned to do so many things with it in New York._ Sighing she picked up some butter, a block of parmesan, and some heavy cream. She felt stressed and some good comfort food might help.

_Americans and Italians are masters of that._ She rolled her eyes and glanced back at the aisle with noodles. _I doubt they have it… but maybe I'll be lucky. My luck has to even out today somehow._ Sighing she shook her head as she ran a hand along the shelves.

_Nope… I'll have to improvise then…_ She picked up some egg noodles and nodded, they'd do the part.

"That's enough for a couple days, come on… lets head home."

"Roger." Sousuke said following in her wake.

The two of them stood in the checkout line as the longhaired Japanese man perused through some boxes in an aisle opposite the checkout. Kaname couldn't catch him looking at them but still, she felt eyes on her back as she unloaded the baskets and smirked at the cashier's stunned expression on seeing her face and Sousuke's.

"You're back? I thought you moved away or something." She said as she started to bag up the items and glanced over at Sousuke. "You're both back…"

"Yeah… It's good to be back." Kaname said as she glanced at Sousuke.

"I noticed store security has not improved since last time I was here, I observed the man in the aisle behind us slipping some goods into his suit." Sousuke stated.

The cashier sighed and picked up the phone beside the machine. "Manager to aisle three, code 2-S, thank you." Setting it back down, she smiled at Kaname. "He hasn't changed has he?"

"Maybe a little." She said as Sousuke stepped forward and pulled out his wallet to pay for the groceries and the cashier blinked before accepting the money from him.

"Really?" She said as the two of them slipped out the door as the store's manager approached the long-haired man.

"Uh-huh, see you." Kaname said as she grabbed the bags and headed out the door, glancing at the reflected glass to see that the manager was accosting the man with long black hair. She smiled. "Good job Sousuke."

"It's not over yet." He said, his gaze focusing on the bench behind them for a minute. "The backup is now on us."

Kaname felt her eyebrow twitch in irritation. "Don't tell me… the whole paper with a hole cut out trick right?"

"Partly, he has a paper but there does not appear to be a hole for observation." Sousuke glanced at her for a moment. "You remembered that I used that technique?"

"Yes, and I watch a lot of action movies." Kaname sighed. "And now as we cross the street he'll start following right?"

"Affirmative."

She glanced up at the overcast skies and sighed, letting out a puff of air before glancing at the crossing for the street. "So now we'll try and shake him then?"

"Affirmative, since this is the only busy street between us and the objective it may be best to cross it in a manner…"

"Run across…" Kaname's scowl grew. "With groceries?"

"That… is troublesome." Sousuke admitted glancing down at the bag in his hand. "Perhaps we should proceed normally and just look for an opportunity en-route."

"Yes, I'd rather not have to do this twice because we dropped something on the way." Kaname said as she turned toward a pedestrian bridge down the road. "Sousuke… what would happen if I called him out as to following me?"

"I do not know, that would depend upon his orders and training. As well as how much information they have on you." Sousuke stated. "I would not advise it."

Kaname nodded slowly. _He's probably right._ She sighed as they clambered up the bridge and across. A crackle of thunder echoed overhead and she scowled.

"If it starts raining, running home doesn't sound like such a bad idea." Kaname said.

"Chidori, it seems your priorities need to be examined… how is it that evading this man is not more of a priority than not getting wet?"

"I told you, call me Kaname…" She said as her lip quivered and she glanced at the ground. _Damn it, he's right. He's the expert when it comes to things like this._

"Sorry." He said quietly. "Old habits."

Kaname closed her eyes as they stepped off the bridge and the sidewalk toward home. Letting out another sigh, she shook her head again. Glancing up she shivered as a cold blast of wind whipped down the street and tore at her clothes.

"Sousuke…" Kaname breathed as she walked along the street and swung her bag trying to give off a happy carefree impression, not so much for Sousuke as for the agent that was watching them.

* * *

><p>He arched an eyebrow at her as they walked along, his gaze shifting every once in a while to some glimmer of metal or reflective object to monitor the man trudging behind them. He looked almost like Kurz with that blond hair and pleasing features, but his position some fifteen meters behind them made him a threat.<p>

_Why is Kaname acting so… so… happy? If I didn't see the expression on her face I'd think she was downright giddy. Maybe it's a ploy… trying to lure the operative into underestimating her or making it seem less likely we've been spotted?_

As they walked Sousuke pursed his lips trying to find some way out of their current predicament without alerting the man to the arsenal hidden within his trousers. _A flash bang may be mistaken for a firework by an amateur but this man clearly is not an amateur. No, I need to find a way to distract him long enough for us to break line of sight without using any of my equipment. Kaname is right. It is better to reveal as little about ourselves as possible._

"Sousuke?" Kaname asked as they began to approach Denenchofu Train Station and the turnabout that was outside of it. "You got any ideas yet."

"Possibly, Kaname did you know that roundabouts were originally conceived of as a means of confusing invading armies." Sousuke said glancing around as they came to a stop at the first crossing.

"Huh?"

"I will explain later." Sousuke said as he walked across in a gap in the traffic and continued across the island of cement in the middle of the traffic circle with Kaname following right behind him. Then they crossed the street once again heading south-west.

Kaname shrugged for a moment as Sousuke glanced over his shoulder and scanned the area behind him. He almost smiled as he saw the operative scrambling around the edge of the circle to reach them, stopped cold by traffic time after time. Then they lost sight of each other through a set of well-manicured bushes.

He turned back to Kaname as she slid a mirror back into her purse and smiled. "He lost sight of us that means…"

"We put as much distance between him and us as possible, hiak!" The two increased their pace to a brisk run, their groceries swinging in their hands as they scrambled past some curious pedestrians and turned east onto a side road for a block before relenting their pace and heading southward once more.

* * *

><p>Kaname caught her breath fitfully as they slowed to their previous stroll. <em>I'm out of shape… damn Sophia and Leonard had me so focused on their computers and that damn Omni-sphere… I let myself get weak.<em> She sighed as she glanced at Sousuke who wasn't even breathing hard after the swift run.

_Damn him, he's in better shape than ever!_ She squashed the thought immediately blushing slightly. _So what? That's how he saved me._

Another thunderclap echoed overhead and the heavens opened… rain began to fall, starting as a light sprinkle and swiftly increasing to a full-fledged downpour. Scowling to herself she pulled out an umbrella from her purse and opened it.

Sousuke held a water proof poncho in his hand for a second before stuffing it back into his pocket and huddling beneath her umbrella. Smiling she leaned against him and sighed. "Sousuke?"

"Yes Kaname?"

"How is a road circle supposed to confuse an invading army?"

Sousuke smirked and leaned beside her to explain.

* * *

><p><strong>25 March 2000, 21:30 hrs<strong>

**Pearl Harbor, State of Hawaii, United States**

**Los Angeles-class submarine **_**USS Pasadena**_** (SSN-752)**

Commander Killy B. Sailor sat on the dock beside the ship, his hands rolling three ball-bearings idly as he watched the dock crew go about the monotonous task of resupplying the vessel. The group of ditched Mithril personnel they'd picked up in the Pacific three weeks earlier were long gone.

One of the seamen tripped on the ramp and dropped a crate filled with strawberries into the water between the submarine and dock swearing after a moment. He stood and set one hand on his hip before shaking the ball bearings at the seaman.

"Jonsson, strip down and get those strawberries. I don't care what happens to you just get them you damn fool."

"Commander Sailor?" A man asked behind him and he spun snapping off a salute as he caught the admiral's uniform.

"Sir!"

"You are hereby relieved of command of the Pasadena and reassigned." The admiral held out the folder and Sailor swallowed down a lump as he took it.

"Sir? Why have I been removed from command?" He said swiftly. "If this is about the incident with the Mithril personnel a few weeks ago or…"

"You're getting a different boat Commander, a much nicer one once we get her fully functioning and you're the only man we know of that has a grasp of her capabilities."

"Sir?" The commander flipped open the folder and his jaw dropped open. _The Toy Box!_

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 16:40 hrs<br>**

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 404, Mansion K Apartments**

Sousuke let out a sigh of relief as the door clicked shut behind them and he wiped his brow of the sweat and rainwater that had covered it for the last ten blocks. He took a deep breath and watched Kaname pant for a moment in the entryway before reaching down to remove his shoes.

"Mission accomplished." Sousuke said as he carried one of the bags of groceries into the living area and set it down before dropping into the couch.

_This is quite pleasant, if it weren't for those American spies._ He rubbed his head and sighed, spies were among the enemies he'd trained against, and unlike a terrorist, a sniper, a soldier, or the plain old street thug he seemed to find himself squaring off against all too often… They weren't a threat to Kaname directly, and attacking them directly would only attract unwanted attention.

It was whoever they were reporting to that was the threat. _AH-6s from Delta Force or CIA Operatives, I wonder how long until they decide to make their move. The situation here can't swing further in their favor. I really do not know how skilled Wraith is in a battle but I definitely would not expect Kurz quality marksmanship._

_She may have been identified when she warned us as well, in which case they'll seek to eliminate her first._

Kaname's voice broke through the fog of his thoughts and he smiled. "Sousuke… I figured I'd make something special to try and calm our nerves, although…" Her voice faltered. "It's been awhile since I made this particular dish."

"It's not a problem." Sousuke said as he pulled at his shirt to dry it off.

_What is it? I have never had anything she made that used that cheese… in fact the only foods I remember that used that cheese were the Mithril Mess's issued Spaghetti or Pizza. I do not believe she procured the ingredients for either of those items._

A tired sigh slipped out of Kaname's mouth as she walked over to the stove and set a pot on it and began to reduce the heavy cream and butter inside it to a sauce. As the smell of melting butter filled the room Sousuke saw her pull out the bag of egg noodles and a larger pot full of water and set it to boil.

_It certainly is not palau or roht… Perhaps it is some form of stroganoff. Kalinin used to make that occasionally, it was certainly better than his borscht._

The thought of his old mentor made his fists tighten in anger. _I don't understand… why did he try and keep her from me? He had to know what she means to me… why? And then after that chopper crashed… he said he was teaching me one last lesson._

_I really am a lamb raised by wolves._ Sousuke shook his head and sighed forcing the thoughts away. Thinking about things like that with the enemy so close was dangerous. He had to keep alert.

* * *

><p>Kaname glanced over her shoulder at Sousuke and sighed as she caught his expression. He was thinking that much was clear and something about it seemed to be disturbing him. <em>I know I'm worried but seeing him like this…<em>

She sighed as she checked the two pots and closed her eyes, focusing on the rich smell rising from the sauce. "Sousuke? You look troubled."

"I'm sorry Kaname… I was just wondering what it was you were making and my thoughts… well, I thought of stroganoff and that made me think of Kalinin." The audible sigh that slipped from his lips made her shoulders shrug. She could understand. The man that had raised him as his son had betrayed him to Amalgam.

"I shouldn't think about things such as that… not with the enemy so close. If I let my guard down… you…" He fell silent and Kaname let the quiet hang around the two of them for a moment.

"I know Sousuke." Kaname closed her eyes and sighed. "It's not stroganoff anyway. You might have had it in Italy."

"I was not there long enough to sample the local cuisine." Sousuke stated flatly.

"So you'll get to try something new then." Kaname smiled and glanced over at him. "I know you're worried. This always made me feel better when we had it in America with my family..."

"Thank you." He said quietly before closing his eyes.

"Sousuke, it's not a problem." She said with a smile. "It'll be ready in just a few more minutes, okay?"

"Understood."

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 17:43 hrs<strong>

**Mithril Headquarters, Sydney, Australia**

**Communications Room**

Tessa smiled as Melissa Mao and Kurz Weber stepped inside the room, their smiling faces brightening her day.

"Tessa-chan! Now that Mithril is no more, Captain just sounds wrong!" Kurz Weber said and opened his arms in a pantomime of a hug.

Mao silenced him with a jab in the ribs and sighed. "I hoped the russians would give him back to us cleaned up… but alas his mind is just as dirty as ever."

"If he wasn't it wouldn't be Weber." Tessa said as she giggled and glanced over at the Admiral his hands still typing away on the computer. "We've managed to requisition some equipment from the storage rooms here and assemble some false IDs for you to use, unfortunately since we lack the resources we once had they're not exactly as high quality as normal." She sighed and glanced at the table where they'd set out the gear. Fortunately their records had included sizes proper for them.

Two Marine Corps woodland uniforms were laid out, one with the badge of a sergeant and the other with that of a lieutenant.

"Tessa, you know that LTs in the Corps tend to be younger than me, like a lot younger than me." Mao said as she looked at the gear.

"You are correct Mao, mostly because battlefield commissions are unheard of these days. You can test to become an officer but not that many do in the Marine Corps. This has all been worked into your cover." The old admiral stated without looking up. "Kurz will be the Lieutenant, you will be his platoon first sergeant."

"You hear that nee-san! I get to order you around…" Kurz said with glee as he picked up his uniform. "Why are these so stiff…?"

"All American uniforms are like that, it's from the chemical warfare protection that they're treated with." Mao said. "And you won't be ordering me around that much LT… I'm a platoon sergeant. My job is to teach you your job. Sort of like how Mardukas worked with Tessa."

"Oh… crap. You're supposed to be XO hardass… you're right you did work all that into our cover." Kurz said as he picked up the uniform and examined it. "Wait… Isn't there regulations on your hair in…"

He fell silent as Mao pulled out a combat knife and grinned. "Come here. Let me shorten those golden locks for you!"

"I think I'll just stuff it up under my helmet." He said backing away from her.

Tessa giggled and the Admiral shook his head and chuckled to himself before leaning away from the computer. "I believe I've organized this enough to properly brief you on the organization that is replacing Mithril." As he spoke he tapped the print key and one of the printers in the room sputtered to life printing off three sheets of paper. "This is all subject to revision of course, but the basics are pretty much set in stone."

Kurz pulled the paper from the printer and handed one each to Tessa and Mao. Melissa smirked as she lifted the page up and quickly scanned it. "This seems really workable."

Tessa pursed her lips in thought as she read the paper.

_SWORD AND SHIELD:_

_SWORD DIVISION: _

_Objective: Tasked with Military Defense of Whispered Individuals and their Families._

_Methodology: Small Military Special Reaction Forces with rules of engagement similar to commandos and police SWAT are used to rescue whispered individuals held by force. Identified whispered will also be provided personal protection in the form of bodyguards._

_SHIELD DIVISION:_

_Objective: Support of Identified Whispered Individuals._

_Methodology: Provision of legal protection, monetary support, educational opportunities, and health care to identified whispered individuals. They will also act as intermediaries between military contractors and the whispered under their protection to allow for fair and honest use of their talents. A small research branch should be attached for the creation of proof of concept devices and allow for a moderate amount of independent research._

_FRONT COMPANY: SWORD AND SHIELD SECURITY_

_Objective: Act as the fiscal network behind the organization and handler of assets._

_Methodology: The Company will act as a full security company, however its primary clients will be known whispered and those informed of their condition as Sword and Shield operates._

She smiled slightly as she read the objectives and how it would come about. They were in the founding moments of the creation. "Yes, I think this will work. Smaller objectives for a smaller organization but still very important work."

"Sounds like we'll do much more cloak and dagger type stuff then we used too… I guess that's why the intelligence guys aren't being invited to the party, they hated when we did stuff like that." Kurz said with a large smirk. "Plus I like pretending to be James Bond."

"You do know the shaken not stirred bit is a trick to make it so he didn't get drunk as fast as the other people at the party right?" Mao smirked.

"What? Well… that doesn't work now cause everybody does it to look cool now." Kurz sighed. "So, Tessa-chan… what do you want us to blow up?"

Tessa twirled her braided hair and smiled despite herself, Kurz's commentary while always flippant definitely helped lighten the mood in briefings. "The United States has sent a company of Seabees to Merida Island along with two or three companies of Marines as security. Over the last week they've uncovered the Tuatha De Danaan intact, buried in the wreckage and are working to recover her. Danaan must not fall into American hands, nor can we let that ship be reverse engineered… America already has an edge in submarine warfare over the soviets, do we really want to widen the gap… someone is bound to do something stupid then and…"

"Tessa-chan, we're operators… you don't need to tell us why. It was nice on the TDD-1 to hear but we get it." Kurz sighed. "So you want us to go to Merida, infiltrate the camp, and blow up the TDD-1."

"Basically." Tessa said. "More exactly, I'd like you to use the self-destruct system… it should destroy the boat completely without causing unnecessary casualties. If it's non-functional you may use whatever means you want to destroy the vessel." She sighed. "There are many things aboard that could do it… torpedo magazine explosion or…" She started wilting.

"Tessa-chan, we'll get it done." Kurz said quickly.

"Damn right we will." Mao said with a grin. "Should be easy as pie, you don't hire marines to be smart."

"Freaking knuckle-draggers…" Kurz leaned away from Mao. "Except you Mao."

Melissa rolled her eyes. "Don't you forget it… all you're good for is pointing a rifle. I'm glad your german accent is almost non-existent."

"Are you sure sis? All they'll do is ask me to say: 'I'll be back', right?"

Melissa closed her eyes and sighed. "Alright, enough jacking around… First off, transport… second off…"

"I will have two bottle of red wine ready for your return." Tessa said and smiled. "The Osprey crew outside will provide both ingress and egress to the objective and is ECS equipped."

Kurz's eyes went wide. "Awesome, I love this organization now!"

"Kurz, that's not what it's for… I'll explain later." Melissa said as she picked up the M16A3 from the table and loaded it with practiced ease. "Now gear up!"

Tessa swallowed. "I have to ask that you accomplish this mission as quickly as possible, once you've returned we will be proceeding directly to Chofu."

Melissa's gaze snapped back to her and she scowled. "Tessa? What's going on… is something up with Angel?"

"Wraith reports that a pair of CIA Operatives have begun following them and she believes a Delta Force team may have been deployed there as well." Tessa's good mood evaporated. "Please do this as quickly as you can so we can shore up her defenses."

"Understood." Kurz said. "Damn Americans going after Kaname like that."

Melissa, Tessa, and the Admiral all fixed him with a glare.

"No offense intended…" Kurz muttered under his breath as he felt their gaze on him.

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 17:03 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 404, Mansion K Apartments**

Kaname smiled as she set down the plate of pasta before Sousuke and giggled at his arched eyebrows. The egg noodles were covered with a garlic, cream, butter, and parmesan based sauce and she'd even sprinkled some basil atop it.

"So… what is it?" Sousuke asked as he picked up some of the noodles with his chop sticks.

"It's called fettuccini alfredo, but I couldn't find any fettuccini so I guess that makes it egg noodle alfredo." She smiled at the confused look on Sousuke's face. "Fettuccini is the name of a specific type of noodle and alfredo is the name of the sauce."

"I see." Sousuke quietly ate some with his chopsticks and Kaname watched him like a hawk.

"How is it?" Kaname asked as she leaned over toward him at the table.

"It is… good, I do not believe I've ever eaten anything this rich." He said as he ate another bite.

"So you like it?" Kaname asked as she glanced down at her own plate and picked up her chopsticks.

"Yes, very much so, it is almost as good as your curry rice." Sousuke said.

Kaname felt her heart thunder in her chest… _Sousuke… you can be so sweet sometimes. I suppose I could make this more often._ She smirked and nibbled at her food for a moment before glancing up at Sousuke scarfing down the food like a starving man.

"Slow down sergeant… you won't be able to taste anything if you eat that fast." Kaname said.

"Sorry, I am used to taking meals with little time to savor them." Sousuke said as he forced himself to slow down.

"Well, I suppose if you like it I'll just have to make it again so you can taste it properly." Kaname joked as she returned to her meal.

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 18:40 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Tokiwa Residence**

Kyoko sighed, leaning slightly against her hand and stared down at the mass of photographs before her, newspaper clippings, and magazine articles. Beside them sat a pair of photo books, one two thirds filled and another half filled. Her heart ached remembering the pained look on her friend's faces that she'd witnessed and she swallowed uncertain if she really wanted to know what the two had been whispering to each other about.

_Maybe Shinji knows… If Sagara told anyone more than the rest of the class about who he was and what his life had been like it'd be him._

"Kyoko-san?" The spectacled boy asked from across the table where he'd been scanning the photos that she'd taken with a laptop.

Slowly she lifted her head and sighed. "I don't know Kazama… something they were talking about made them look hurt at lunch."

"You mean after Sousuke mentioned his friends in Alaska?" Kazama said quickly glancing at his laptop and tapping the control pad.

"Yeah… they started whispering and…" Kyoko's voice fell slightly as she rubbed her shoulder where one of the handful of scars she suffered from the night Kaname had surrendered to Amalgam was hidden under her shirt.

Shinji nodded slowly and sighed. "I saw, I don't think we want to ask about it Kyoko…"

She slowly nodded. _I don't want to hurt them… they have to have gone through so much. Shinji tried to keep track of the fight against Amalgam and Sousuke but… he found so little._ Now they were back at least and clearly together… _finally._

"Shinji… what do we really know about Sousuke? I mean…" Kyoko leaned against the table and blushed. "I've been trying to get Kana and him together forever but I never really thought about how much I knew about him."

Shinji nodded slowly. "I know, he didn't tell me much to go on but I've managed to track down some things…" He smirked. "Though I think I just got lucky on this one. I was cruising the internet, looking up some information on the RK-92 Savage and I saw this… I haven't shown anyone this, partly because I'm not sure it's him but…" Shinji pulled a large photo from his laptop case and set it down before her. "This was taken in 1993."

Kyoko picked up the photo and blinked. It was taken in some rocky terrain and the people in it wore funny clothes, mostly grey and drab greens or light blues. The older men each wore a beard of some sort. There were six people sitting around a squat table in the sun, one of them was grinning broadly his hands interwoven in front of him and bright brown eyes seemed to twinkle.

A boy that looked to be about twelve years old sat beside him with pewter eyes and a cross shaped scar on his cheek, a rifle was grasped between his small hands and an olive drab cap topped his head. He was clearly the youngest of the group and two more young men sat to his right, one looked to be around fifteen while another looked to be a year or two younger. Each held rifles but there were smiles on their faces, except for the boy with the cross-shaped scar and watchful eyes.

_Sagara Sousuke?_

"Is that really him?" Kyoko said studying the picture closely. The way the hair laid, the watchful expression, and the perpetual frown on the child's face all seemed to claim that it was.

"I'm not sure, but Sousuke did say he lived in Afghanistan." Shinji glanced at the image. "I was thinking you might want to use it in your project Kyoko if I could find a way to confirm it was him."

"How would you confirm it without showing him the picture?" Kyoko said quietly.

Shinji smiled, "Well, I can see if he knew anyone in the picture by dropping names. The most famous one…" He tapped the smiling man. "Is this guy, his name is Ahmad Shah Massoud. If he lived in Afghanistan and met him he'd remember." His expression wilted somewhat. "The caption actually gave the name of everyone in the picture. It called the guy that looked like Sousuke… Ahmad's adopted son, Kashim."

"His son?" Kyoko scowled. "No way…"

"Well, most people would say there was no way that one school class could endure a hijacking, a ship jacking, a terrorist attack, a kidnapping, and have one of its members turn out to be a mercenary Arm Slave pilot." Shinji sighed. "Sagara-kun is so touchy I should be able to find out pretty easy."

"Yeah, when he starts sweating buckets you know he's really nervous… or about to get smacked." Kyoko grinned wickedly then slowly sighed picking up the picture book and flipping through it to last pages that had been filled. She'd made one for each class-mate and scrawled notes and jokes in the margins, but these two stopped at the events of a year ago. Shinji had helped with Sousuke's slipping in news clippings and images he'd found of the fight with Amalgam as well, but before that was a singular picture that showed the change in the books.

She wasn't even sure who took it, having gotten it in the mail soon after she'd gotten out of the hospital.

He stood at the front of the classroom his head hung low and his hands clenched into fists. The other students watched him, some angry, some upset, and some to shell shocked to display any of their feelings.

_Maybe I shouldn't have included this for Kana-chan… he looks so broken and angry._ Then she looked at the quoted scrawl that sat beneath the image… It was a combination confession and promise, the sort of thing that one like him would make.

"…_I'll bring her back…" _Kyoko bit her lip as she stared at the words and felt a tear run down her cheek.

_You did Sousuke… you always keep your promises._

"Kyoko?" Shinji asked quietly.

She snapped her eyes shut and wiped away the tear. "It's okay… just memories and all."

Shinji nodded slowly and pulled another folder from his laptop. "I… also found some other images from the last year, some people in the AS fan community published this online about an AS competition group that was active last year… I think it has Sousuke in it as well. I also got some images via an unlisted e-mail… it was the same one that asked us to record something for Sousuke and Kaname."

Kyoko blinked remembering the time the whole class had talked in front of the camera one after another and then as a group. She didn't know for sure where the tape had been sent but she knew that Shinji had something to do with it. He'd been doggedly chasing down every lead on the whereabouts of the two of them.

Taking a deep breath she glanced down at the image of a group gathered around a broken down RK-92 Savage. Along the bottom the name 'Crossbow' had been added through some digital program or another. Studying the faces she caught sight of a girl that looked to be her own age kneeling over the knee joint, a wrench in her hand and a smirk on her face. Opposite, leaning against the arm of the mech was Sousuke, a scowl on his face all the same despite the celebratory look on the others in the image.

_He looks meaner than he did in school._ Kyoko thought to herself as she tapped his image with a finger. _Scary actually._

"The caption called him Sousky Segal, but I'd guess it was just an alias. From what I heard Amalgam had some sort of connection with the group." Shinji sighed.

"He…" Kyoko bit her lip. "In these pictures he looks a lot more unhappy."

"Wouldn't he be? He's trying to find Chidori for a year." Shinji shakes his head as Kyoko moved to the next picture which showed an Arm Slave surrounded by scaffolding. It was painted red and white and over the top of the Arm Slave a crest was emblazoned showing a sword and shield over a globe with the word Mithril written in curving script along the edge. Leaning over to watch Kyoko, Shinji shook his head. "I don't know where they were taken, but after today I'd guess Alaska."

Kyoko searched the image for a moment then found Sousuke beside the mech's massive chest on the scaffolding talking with a girl that looked to be about the same age with curly red hair and green eyes. Kyoko cocked her head then pulled out the next image which showed Sousuke in what she guessed was the cockpit of the same mech with the girl leaning over him pointing to a set of switches. He seemed to be concentrating intently on the instruments, the scowl for once easing to a simple frown.

_An eighteen year old Arm Slave designer? That… that must be Sarah Miller then._


	12. Chapter 10: An Engineer's Plot

**Sword and Shield**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10:<strong> An Engineer's Plot

* * *

><p><strong>Ingress<strong> 1. _n._ the act of entering. 2. _n. _permission to enter. 3. _n._ a door or other means of entering. 4. _n._ (military) approach to a mission objective.

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 01:08 hrs<strong>

**Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Base Tarmac near the AS Maintenance Hangar**

Sarah Miller shivered in the Alaskan wind as the gaping maw of the transport plane opened before her and a white and red Arm Slave slowly rolled out onto the concrete. She felt her face fall as she recognized the battle worn vehicle and its damaged cockpit.

The colonel stood beside her clad in army issue arctic warfare gear and held the case that contained Al by his side.

"The ARX-8 Laevantein, a pity that it was recovered in such a battered condition." The colonel said as he watched the pallet slide to a stop as an Abrams tank that had been converted to an armored vehicle recovery unit rolled up and began to winch the pallet onto a truck bed. He glanced over at Sarah. "I take it you and your team can repair it?"

"Of… of course, but why? The unit was designed specifically for one individual pilot. It won't operate at optimum efficiency for anybody else." Sarah said quickly.

"Really? Well, Sagara's debriefing on Okinawa indicates this unit doesn't really need a pilot at all." The colonel smiled. "Except an AI."

Sarah's eyes widened. "You mean to put Al back inside it and test him?"

"Exactly, we even recovered the AI core your allies stole from the Okinawa base." The colonel smirked. "Though with this… I guess that was unnecessary."

Sarah sighed as the colonel gestured with Al's case. "I see…" She bit back a smile, if Al was in the ARX-8 and they could get it armed… _This actually will make things easier for me._

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 20:33 hrs<strong>

**Mithril Headquarters, Sydney, Australia**

**Supply Room 19-C**

Melissa Mao yawned as she stretched out in the marine uniform she'd been issued and sighed. "God, it feels weird being back in one of these."

Kurz shrugged and picked up the M-16A3 assault rifle and checked the action. Then he glanced up at her and smirked. "Damn Mao… it looks fine on you…"

"Lech." She muttered before picking up an M9 Beretta and slipping it into the holster at her belt. Then she picked up the M16A3 and loaded a clip. "Standard marine load-out is one magazine in the gun, six in the ammo pouch, plus two frags and two smokes or flash bangs. Some guys also carry a magazine of tracers for target marking."

"Understood, that's two-hundred-and-forty odd rounds of ammunition. You guys like to burn through it fast I guess." Kurz said.

"That much should last a full day of combat… at least that's what we were always told." Melissa said.

"Anyway… anything else I should know to fit in?" Kurz asked as he loaded the M-16.

"Yeah, curse more." Mao said with a smile as she picked up the NBC hood and gas mask and scowled. "Ugh… I forgot how much I hate these things."

"Say Mao. Were you old enough to be in the Gulf War?" Kurz asked.

"You mean Desert Storm? I'm not quite that old." Mao smiled slightly. "Damn glad I wasn't there. Watching the whole region blow up after we pulled out had to be painful. I was actually in basic at the time."

"Really, guess you just missed it by a couple weeks then." Kurz shrugged. "Probably a good thing you did."

"Yeah, but I have been gassed." Mao made a face as she fumbled with the rubber seals on the hood.

"What, when?"

"They do it during training, I don't remember what agent but they use a diluted agent so you know what it feels like to be gassed and all that." Mao scowled. "Not pleasant."

"Shit, what don't they do to you jar-heads in training?" Kurz asked.

"Not much."

Tessa set a pair of red keys on the table and sighed. "Now… if you're done flirting." Despite her words a pleased smiled slipped across her face. "These are the keys for the self-destruct system located in the engine room. Once you've selected the timer for self-destruct both keys must be turned simultaneously. There is no abort system, once armed it will overload the palladium reactors and release a plasma cascade inside the vessel incinerating the ship."

Mao picked up one of the keys and nodded. "Got it." Smirking to herself she tossed the key to Weber before picking up the other one. "Any word on the radiation levels at the site?"

Tessa shook her head.

"Great… so Mao might grow two heads if she pulls off the NBC gear." Weber said with a smirk.

"Oh shut it Kurz."

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 19:53 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 509, Lions Mansion Apartments**

The door opened with a click and a long-haired Japanese man stepped inside, a shopping bag by his side. Taking a deep breath he flicked on the lights and wandered into the sparsely furnished living area of the apartment where a set of security cameras and remote listening equipment sat. A blond haired man was in front of the gear and rubbed his brow in irritation.

"What kept you?" He asked in passible Japanese.

The long haired man sighed. "The manager of the supermarket, they had to make sure I wasn't stealing anything."

"So that's how they slipped out without you?" The blond man asked.

"Yeah, how'd it go for you?" The long-haired man asked as he set the bag down and pulled a beer from inside.

"Traffic circle." He said blandly. "When I got around it I'd lost sight, didn't reacquire till I got back here."

"So are they in the apartment now?" The long-haired man asked as he walked over to the shades over the windows and stared out.

"Yep." He sighed as he tapped the microwave receiver and shrugged. "Set this up as soon as they left, didn't even have to sneak in their apartment… these new microwave systems can be anchored to the wall of the neighboring apartment. I doubt the person in there will notice I've come and gone… a bit of a slob for a Jap."

The long-haired man nodded and picked up the second headset and slipped it over his ears. "Anything good?"

"Not really, I haven't gone through the tape yet but besides the fact the girl can cook… nothing juicy." The blonde shrugged. "Damn, I would kill to have had what they did for dinner… it's been forever since I got good Italian food."

"She made Italian?" The long-haired man asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Fettuccini Alfredo, can you believe it? Of course her dossier says she lived in New York for quite a while, maybe that's where she picked it up." The blond tapped the folder on his desk idly. "Still haven't got a positive ID on the guy, but he's definitely some sort of security specialist or something… maybe Mithril. I'll send an information request on the name Sousuke to Langley in the morning."

"I don't know Mac, it's not a good idea for a body guard to live with their employer… they act more like boyfriend and girlfriend." The long-haired man said.

"I know what you mean… she's hot though, maybe he just couldn't resist."

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 20:03 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 404, Mansion K Apartments**

Kaname leaned against Sousuke and sighed trying force away the thoughts and worries that rose up in her mind. Aside for the time he'd been recalled and when the two of them had walked back to find Leonard sitting in this very room there wasn't a time she could remember when the threat seemed so immediate, so oppressive.

They were being watched, and not just by Wraith.

_I hate this… I just want to lay here safe and content with Sousuke… why can't I just have that? Why can't I have a month's peace and tranquility? It's not fair. No wonder Sophia wanted to go back and redo everything, and Leonard… that pompous, self-righteous snake. I can't believe I went with him, how could I do something so stupid…_

She sighed and leaned further against Sousuke letting the warmth of his body remind her of his presence. She knew why she did it. She did it to save Kyoko and the others, to get that pompous bastard to spare Sousuke's life when he had him at his mercy.

_They were nothing alike. Leonard, you were a cold blooded tool who had intentionally shred every ounce of humanity you had left and Sousuke…_

She glanced up at him and smiled at him as he watched the television, his hand sitting on the armrest atop his Glock 17. After a moment his gaze flicked to her and their eyes met. A slight, almost imperceptible smile slid across his face.

_Sousuke has a big heart… a big, wounded, bleeding heart. That's what you never had Leonard._

She smiled back at him and leaned forward to catch his lips with her own. It was a soft tender kiss and it made butterflies flutter in her stomach. Her heart ached with the knowledge of how much she'd put him through.

_A year, how much happened? I know there were attempts on his life, Sabine and that bastard assassin Karuma that Leonard had on a leash talked about how he had escaped such attempts. We haven't said anything about it… not really, except for that night in Mexico. I never really told him about the first time I encountered Leonard…_

The cold metal and plastic of the Glock 26 that sat atop her bare knee reminded her of the revolver, small, compact and cold to the touch. A shiver ran along her back as she glanced down at the weapon.

"Kaname, are you alright? You look troubled." Sousuke said quietly.

"I'm okay…" She closed her eyes and laid her head down on his chest forcing those thoughts away. The moment was too nice, too valuable to her mind. "I don't want to think about it right now."

"Understood." Sousuke answered as he ran a hand through her hair and then leaned down to plant a kiss on her forehead.

A smile slipped across her face and she let out a contented sigh then leaned up to catch his lips with her own. Sousuke's eyes widened in surprise at the sudden kiss and she pawed at his sweater, fisting it as she leaned in. When Sousuke's hands ran up and held her head to him and he responded kissing her back with that same fiery intensity he had, the combative and determined spirit that lay beneath the clueless and self-conscious high school student, she could have sworn she'd died on Merida Island and found herself in heaven.

"Sousuke…" She almost moaned his name as their lips separated for air and felt tears rising up into her eyes. She blinked them away as she caught her breath.

"Kaname…" His voice was a hoarse whisper as his rough and calloused hand ran along her cheek. Kaname's eyes locked on his steely gaze and her stomach fluttered. She bit her lip to keep from moaning as his other hand slowly caressed her back and pulled her closer. The Glock 26 slid off her lip and dropped onto the couch with a dull thud.

_Sousuke… when did you learn this?_ She closed her eyes and sighed as he slowly drew her into his lap. A fire started deep in her gut as she felt his arms tighten around her then she felt his lips on hers again, kissing her fiercely. A happy sound came from her throat as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. A smile slipped across her face as their lips separated once more. "I love you."

"I love you too Kaname." He said before running a hand through her hair and grinning at her. "I won't ever lose you again."

Kaname closed her eyes and leaned her head on his shoulder. "With you by my side, no one could succeed."

"And I'll always be there for you Kaname." He said quietly.

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 02:30 hrs<strong>

**Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Arm Slave Maintenance Hangar**

Sarah Miller licked her lips as she bent over the battered remnants of the cockpit controls of the ARX-8 Laevantein. The large empty compartment behind the pilot's seat marked where Al's core had once been housed, a plethora of connecting wires coming from a dozen odd ports for the AI system. Sighing she started to plug each into the much smaller unit that she set upon the seat as she worked.

Outside the cockpit two guards stood behind her, their weapons in the ready position and she could see that each had the selector switch to semi-automatic instead of safe. It seemed the colonel was taking no chances with her.

_Moron. Yes… let's put the AS designer and her pet AI in the single most powerful AS in the world and have some guards with rifles to keep her from doing anything, yes that ought to be enough._

Sarah rolled her eyes as the one lone remaining screen in the AS cockpit flickered to life and a diagnostic began to roll past. Through the built in speakers Al spoke.

"Hookup complete, beginning system diagnostic, it appears the Americans did not bother to repair the damage to the cockpit or tertiary systems. Three rounds of 12.7x99 ammunition have gotten loose in the left chain-gun and caused a system jam, the right chain-gun is currently empty. All primary weapons are either expended or have been removed."

"Alright Al, thanks for the assessment. How's general functionality?" Sarah asked.

"Adequate, damage to muscle packages and structural frame is negligible. It is merely the master room that has suffered any appreciable damage." Al stated.

Inside the cockpit the lone monitor which Sarah alone could see flickered: _Sufficient restraints survived to enable me to transport your person Sarah, I can also hack the load-out equipment system to issue a full combat load aside for internal weapons like the 12.7mm chain-guns._

"Good." Sarah said with a smile.

One of the guards stepped forward and the screen flickered and went dark as he peered inside. "Miss Miller, the colonel wishes to speak with you."

"Coming…" She grunted as she slipped out. "I'll see you later Al."

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 21:43 hrs<strong>

**100 km South of Merida Island, South Pacific**

**500 meters over the Coral Sea**

The rumble of the props echoed in the rear cabin of the MV-22 Osprey as Kurz Weber tapped nervously at the radiation detector dangling from his belt. Beside him Mao was burning through cigarettes at an extraordinary rate, going so far as to light the next with the glowing stub of the last.

_Is she as nervous about this as I am?_ Kurz thought to himself. _I mean, who wouldn't be scared about going to a nuclear blast site? Most Japanese people I knew growing up would rather shoot themselves then be anywhere near here._

"You're awfully quiet." Mao said with a cigarette dangling from her mouth.

"Sorry. I guess doing this is making me nervous. That why you're smoking like it's going out of style?" Kurz asked.

Mao snickered. "Nah, can't smoke with the NBC gear on, figured I'd get a good dose before we had to fully suit up." Her gaze fell to the ocean speeding by below them.

"Bullshit." Kurz said as he glanced at her. "Nice try and all, but that's not it is it? At least not all of it Melissa."

"Okay, maybe I'm a bit queasy about standing in the middle of an island that got glassed." Mao admitted. "And maybe the thought of blowing up the de Danaan is a little uncomfortable…" She sighed. "Fuck it, I'm not used to this."

"Who is?" Kurz muttered as he yawned and stared out at the ocean. "We can handle it, right?"

"Fuck yeah." She said and Kurz watched a tentative smile slip across her lips.

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 02:53 hrs<strong>

**Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Interrogation Center B**

Sarah Miller winced as the door clanged shut behind her. The two American troopers that had led her inside stood on either side of the door waiting to 'escort' her back. There wasn't anything subtle about the room she now found herself in. A one-way glass mirror was on the opposite wall and a simple metal table with a pair of chairs sat between where she stood and the eyes she knew were watching. A gruff looking man clad in a colonel's uniform looked up at her from his seat at the table and arched his eyes. It was the same man that'd ordered her confinement in her quarters and ordered her to hook Al back up to the ARX-8. She was really starting to hate that man.

"Miss Miller, please have a seat."

Sarah slowly nodded and sat down. The Americans had turned the Mithril base into their own over the last few hours. They wanted access to everything, the ARX-8, Al, the Fairy Feather system, and every piece of information they could scrape up from the Mithril employees they were now 'hosting'. Trying to maintain a façade of friendliness she extended her hand. "Colonel Michael Johanns."

He took it and smiled slightly before she sat down. "I'm afraid I have bad news. Mithril has chosen to disband." He slid a folder over to her and pursed his lips. "This leaves you and the rest of the base staff in a rather uncomfortable position."

_Hell._ Sarah's mind went to work racing ahead. Being a whispered came in handy at times, but it only augmented some natural talents in ways. Not all whispered were smart outside of the area of their whispers. Some had fighting spirit, others were naturally clumsy. Sarah knew what would come from the Colonel's mouth before he did. It was a script she'd seen on film all too many times.

"We'd like to offer you a position at Dreamland. Your talents would make you an excellent addition to our staff. Whispered are such a rare commodity that I'm sure you'll find the pay to be more than sufficient."

Dreamland, Groom Lake, or Area Fifty-One were all the same location, a desolate piece of the Nevada desert where researchers worked beneath the surface of an air force base all knew of but its existence was continually denied. It meant isolation, separation, and a life building more weapons. _I was hoping to find some way to use my whispers for civilian purposes._ She took a deep breath and opened the folder making a show of reading the details. "If I refused your offer?"

"Well, you have no citizenship papers, no proof of your identity, and a history of being abducted by the Soviet Union. We are afraid that it wouldn't be safe to allow you full freedom of choice. We could arrange witness protection or something similar."

_Great…_ Sarah closed the folder and sighed. "Can I have some time to think about it?"

"Certainly Miss Miller." He gestured to the door and the guards stepped inside. "Kindly return her to her quarters."

Sarah took the folder in her hands as she left. _America, land of the free indeed._ She scowled as she was led out into the cold Alaskan winter air toward a waiting Humvee. _Like hell I'll live as some lab rat, not again._ She shivered as the door slammed shut behind her and she leaned back in the heated cabin. As they drove she stared out the windows at the base, catching a glimpse of the ARX-8 Laevatein in the AS hangar. She'd have to leave, have to run, and now she realized there was a friend she hoped to take with her.

The Humvee came to a stop beside her quarters, a small home built on the edge of the base as was typical of the American style of military bases with homes for officers with families. Frowning she pulled open the car door and ran for the home in the freezing cold. She pulled open her house door and slammed it shut behind her. _I thought Siberia was cold, this place is almost worse._

She walked into the study and sat down in front of the computer and impish smile slipping onto her lips as she turned it on and waited for boot up. After a moment the screen stabilized and she accessed the wireless network transmitter under the desk and pulled a microphone out. "Al, its Sarah."

"Good evening Miss Miller." The synthesized voice of the AI came back cool and leveled. "I take it your talk with the Americans is over."

"Yes, they want me to work for them. After the last few hours I think they'll stick me in a laboratory somewhere as a test subject if I say no, or threaten to destroy you." She let out a long sigh. "I need your help."

"I will provide what assistance I can."

She nodded. "Alright, first I want you to copy all the Amalgam data we took from their bases as well as our equipment specifications for the Lambda driver, Fairy Feather, ARX-7, ARX-8, TDD-1, and any other whispered or black technologies in progress or completed. Erase the originals so they'll be unrecoverable."

"Data transfer in progress. ETA to completion: four hours."

"Now, I hate to test one of your features, but my quarters are guarded. Once the download is complete can you come get me? I'd like to grab one of the fueled ECS transport planes, or a Gulfstream IV." She paused for a moment. "Damn it, where should I go?" She pursed her lips in thought thankful that Al had learned when a rhetorical question was being asked. "Al, where did Sergeant Sagara go when he was released from duty?"

"Chofu, Japan. It is also Miss Chidori's place of residence."

"Well it's a place to start." Sarah said looking at a map.

"Miss Miller?"

Sarah blinked. "You can call me Sarah. Do you have a question?"

"Can you take me with you?"

She smiled. "I was planning on it."

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 22:32 hrs<strong>

**Merida Island, South Pacific**

**4 km North of the Dig Site**

Melissa stepped out onto the dusty remains of Merida Island, a lump rising in her throat as clouds of radioactive ash rose from each step. She glanced over at Kurz, rendered all but genderless from NBC equipment that sealed the both of them away from the hazards of the environment. Taking a deep breath she shook her head remembering another reason she despised the NBC suits. You couldn't wear a helmet with them and without a helmet there was no clip for the night vision goggles.

Coupled with the already bad vision from the hoods, the two of them were almost blind as bats. "Fuck…" Mao said quietly.

"Ugh, I think I just stepped in what was left of Kalinin." Kurz said scraping his boot against the other one theatrically.

Melissa sighed. "Can you see anything Kurz?"

"Nope, nothing beside those lights by the base." Kurz answered with a shrug. "Should we head that way?"

"Probably the best idea." Mao grumbled quietly as she started toward the distant lights.

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 00:59 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 404, Mansion K Apartments**

_The steamy Mexican night made her sweat as she felt the cold metal being pressed into her hands, glancing down she saw a revolver, it's steel frame glinting in the dim light. She swallowed as she glanced up and her eyes met the cool grey eyes of the man opposite her, a man with platinum locks, Leonard Testarossa. The two hulking arastols that flanked him stepped away then turned and walked off into the distance._

_A smirk played upon his lips as he looked down at her. "He's coming for you. He's there in the mansion. You can go to him, once you get past me."_

_I… I must be dreaming, this is… that moment. Kaname glanced down at the gun in her hand and swallowed, her thumb cocking the hammer. If Leonard died here… if I'd met up with Sousuke… if…_

_Images flashed through her mind: the Yamsk 11 Omni-sphere, a girl in a medical gown looking ethereal and nearly dead, Tessa and Sousuke bleeding on the floor, the ARX-8 toppling forward with a monomolecular cutter embedded in the cockpit…_

"_Yes, if I had died now you would escape that torment…" Leonard said flatly, a smug smile on his lips. "But that requires you to pull the trigger, before I reach zero… ten, nine…"_

_Anger and hatred flared in her and she lifted the revolver sighting it on her tormenter. Her mind was screaming in anger: You made me doubt him, you took him from me, and you made me your puppet and tool! The gun jerked in her hand._

_The man toppled back, the silver hair shortening and becoming wiry as she watched. A cross shape scar appeared from behind one lock as blood ran down his forehead._

_A familiar voice rose from his lips. "I never wanted this…"_

_Sousuke!_

Kaname let out a scream as she sat bolt upright in bed. Sweat pouring down her forehead as she blinked in the darkened bedroom.

_Nightmare…_ She thought as Sousuke's calloused hand wrapped around her shoulder.

"Kaname?" His calm steady voice asked in the darkness but clearly laced with concern. Slowly she turned to face him, her eyes scanning his face in the darkness. Then she felt his hand grasp her shaking palm and squeeze it gently.

"Nightmare." Her voice cracked as she glanced down at their intertwined hands. "Just… just hold me."

She felt his chest press against her back as he wrapped his arms around her and gently squeezed. His warm breath passed over her neck and she closed her eyes and blinked away tears. _It's okay, he's here… It was just a nightmare, a silly, stupid nightmare._

"It's not a problem." He murmured into her ear and she slowly relaxed, leaning back into him and sighing.

She turned to him and nuzzled his neck, fisting his pajama top as she turned to him. His embrace tightened and she felt his arms run along her back trying to soothe her. A soft smile slipped onto her lips. She looked up into his grey eyes and hugged him to her chest, desperately grateful for his presence.

"Kaname? What is it?" He asked quietly as her bangs tickled his nose.

She shook her head once and pressed her body against his and closed her eyes. "Nothing… it was just a stupid nightmare." She gently pressed him back on the bed with her hand and laid her head atop his chest. "Let's just go back to sleep."

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 07:13 hrs<strong>

**Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Home of Sarah Miller, On-base Officer's Quarters**

Sarah Miller pulled on a second and then a third set of clothes before grabbing her artic environment issue fur coat. As she finished she pulled open a drawer in her desk and grabbed a small case. Pulling it open she removed a FN Five-seveN pistol and a set of four magazines loaded with the new 5.7x28mm ammunition that had been developed specifically for the weapon. She stuffed three of the magazines into her coat pocket before loading the gun and slipping it into one of the other enormous pockets in the coat.

She'd gotten maybe three hours of sleep while Al had labored on his assigned task and still felt exhausted, the Colonel hadn't let her recover from the trip to Okinawa and back.

The computer beeped and Al's synthesized voice crackled through the speakers. "Download complete, files erased. May I make a suggestion Miss Miller?"

"Sure thing." Sarah said as she pulled open a second drawer and extracted a half dozen meal bars from inside stuffing the coat.

"It would be easiest to procure a Gulfstream IV near hanger nine-b, but that would require leaving the ARX-8 behind. I suggest that you activate the unit's self-destruct and remove my module from the chassis before boarding the Gulfstream."

Sarah nodded. "Good idea, I'll set a long timer on it and warn the base when we leave. With the Lambda driver being the overload system for self-destruct on it, they'll need to evacuate the base." A smirk slipped across her face. "That'll keep this place out of the hands of Uncle Sam."

"Training Question: Who is Uncle Sam?"

"Uncle Sam, common personification of the United States and in particular it's government." Sarah said as she pulled on a set of gloves and leaned over the computer. "I'm about to burn out my computer's hard drive here. You ready?"

"Affirmative."

"Commence operation." Sarah said as she hit a set of keystrokes and smoke began to roll out of her computer.

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 07:18 hrs<strong>

**Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Arm Slave Maintenance Hangar**

The ARX-8 Laevatein began power up. All around the hangar bay American troops that had huddled inside the hangar doors for warmth froze in place, their eyes focusing on the machine as its running lights switched on. After a moment it stood, its movements sure and focused. One of the Americans ran for the alarm at the hangar door and slammed it with his fist. A siren echoed across the base as other soldiers scrambled to get out of the way. Straightening upright the automatic load-out system suddenly sprang to life as robotic arms extracted the arm slave's combat kit from storage and mounted it on its back.

Inside the arm slave there was no pilot save for the AI. Al was an adaptive intelligence, one that endeavored to learn. It had studied the combat choices of its pilot, searched the internet, and downloaded music illegally on its own. Now using the combat records of Sagara Sousuke's piloting it moved to the hangar door and slammed it open, knocking it to the ground.

_Commencing Mission…_


	13. Chapter 11: Make My Day!

**Sword and Shield**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11:<strong> Make my day!

* * *

><p><strong>Lævateinn<strong> 1. _n._ In Norse mythology, Lævateinn is a sword mentioned in the _Poetic Edda_ poem _Fjölsvinnsmál_. 2. _n._ The name given to the ARX-8 Arm Slave upon its completion.

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 07:15 hrs<strong>

**Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Guest Housing**

Sitting in the room they'd been offered on base Christian Amanpour tapped at her laptop with a phone at her ear, a scowl of concentration on her face as she watched the footage from the fight in Hong Kong and footage other crews had captured of the battle in Sydney a year before. She recognized the Arm Slaves in many of the images as the same type she'd witnessed broken amongst the vehicles destroyed in the battle. M9E Gernsbacks she'd been told by the Mithril personnel, and she could see the similarities to the XM9 that was displayed in the open book beside the desk she was working on, a copy of Jane's Arm Slave Identification Guide.

The scattered remains of a simple breakfast lay around the laptop, an empty carton of orange juice, some toast with jam, and an English muffin. The two occupants had been busy throughout the night, researching, calling sources, and desperately searching for scraps of information to couple with what they already knew.

Her producer was on the phone with Atlanta desperately getting her the resources she needed. The interview with the Mithril personnel had produced gold. Word of a couple legendary figures within the organization had eventually been drawn out from them. The list of names on her legal pad was filled with names of famous individuals. Admiral Jerome Borda, General Mayer Amit, Captain "The Duke" Mardukas, and Roy Seals had been individuals she had been able to unearth mountains of information on.

Other names were turning up nothing, Lieutenant Commander Kalinin, Captain Teletha Testarossa, Uruz Team, Angel, Ruby, Dawn, Arbalest and Laeventein.

Then there was word of technologies that the organization had possessed: a submersible aircraft carrier named Tuatha de Danaan, electronic camouflage systems, artificial intelligences, and a number of devices that the group could barely describe as if they weren't fully understood. These devices were circled on her legal pad: Lambda Driver, Fairy Feather, Omni-sphere, and TAROS. She'd almost laughed until she'd seen a file shot from an intervention that the others hadn't remembered to mention of an Arm Slave leaping from a bridge onto a submarine.

The Mithril personnel had also let slip a few nicknames that the American military had come to use to identify their activities: "Greenback Black", "The Dwarves", "Toy Box", and "Silver Thunder". Those names had produced results when she'd called the pentagon correspondent and asked to see what they could dig up.

Slowly the pieces were beginning to come together. The Pentagon correspondent had called back an hour after she'd asked for the information and faxed a United States Navy report on a submarine known as "Toy Box" that a contact had slipped her. Most of the other names were simply in house names for Mithril itself. An operation that was launched with Mithril was "Greenback Black" referring to the mercenaries and the secrecy required. An attack by Mithril was called "Silver Thunder" and "The Dwarves" referred to those that produced Mithril's advanced equipment.

The pentagon correspondent had also managed to pull together a mass of information on the organization called Amalgam. Images from intelligence reports that had been passed to her had been marked with annotations where agents had given information as to what Mithril knew of each.

The schematics of one arm slave matched those of what she'd seen the M9s fight in Hong Kong and the information that accompanied it made her swallow quietly.

_Plan 1058 Chodarl(m)_

_Nato Codename: "Snake-A"_

_Mithril Codename: "Venom" All Lambda Driver equipped units beside Behemoth and Belial are called Venoms in Mithril._

_This now mass-produced Lambda Driver equipped arm slave is amongst the most dangerous found worldwide. The exact number currently active worldwide remains unknown but the appearance of five of such units at once in Hong Kong makes the likelihood of wide spread use of this unit by the terrorist organizations that Amalgam supports highly likely. Shared information from Mithril operations report that these units cannot be easily countered without Lambda driver equipped Arm Slaves. Efforts are underway to find tactics that can bypass the protective qualities of the Lambda drive._

_Like all Amalgam produced Lambda Driver equipped units, the Lambda Driver suffers significant cooling problems and is extremely taxing to the pilot to operate properly. For this reason it is believed that Amalgam is using a number of advanced drug compounds to augment their pilot's ability to interface with the Lambda Driver. Mithril has reportedly refused such an approach due to a decline in pilot's sanity from the effects of the drugs._

_It is believed that these units may be undergoing operational field testing in the Soviet Union under the name Testarossa-Zostoya 100(m) or TZy-100(m). It's believed that the underlying structural framework of the units and their muscle packages are derived from the Zostoya Zy-98 Shadow-A. The CIA reports other models are undergoing experimental field trials as well under either the designation of Testarossa (Ts) or Testarossa-Zostoya (TZy) including the Chodarl(i). How the Soviet Union intends to utilize these units with their dependence on pilot's modified by drug cocktails is currently unknown._

Christian Amanpour set the report down and rubbed her forehead. "This is going to take more than a few hours to pull together. We've still got huge holes in the story. How did Mithril get this technology? How did Amalgam? Why is the Lambda Driver so important in all these reports?" She shook her head slowly and glanced back at the laptop as the imagery from Hong Kong played once again. She stopped it as an unidentified Arm Slave engaged a Chodarl(i) and a pair of bubbles flashed around both units, one red the other an off blue.

"Christian?" Her producer asked as he noticed she was staring at the image.

"It looks like something from a science fiction movie." She spun the image around to face her. "What does that look like to you?"

The man blinked remembering the bubble shields that had appeared in the last science fiction film he'd seen. "Some sort of shield."

"All these reports mention something called a Lambda driver. That might be it." Christian said. "This was taken in Hong Kong last year when Mithril engaged Amalgam. I don't know what that mech is but some pictures from the Jindai High School incident show the same unit."

"One of Mithril's prototypes then?" The producer said.

"Maybe, it certainly fits." She pursed her lips and glanced back over the information she'd gathered. "One thing still doesn't make sense though… Why did America turn on them?"

"Especially considering what it cost them, I was in the Gulf during Desert Storm… before the nuclear bomb on Baghdad." He shook his head. "The last time I saw that many wrecked vehicles it was a highway near the Iraq and Kuwait border."

"Highway 80?" She asked glancing back at the video they'd taken earlier on the flyover to the base.

"Yeah." The producer nodded slowly.

"The Highway of Death." She frowned slightly. "The American Military lost hundreds of vehicles this morning, but the death toll is only… what one-hundred and fifty-three?"

"Including Mithril personnel, it's almost bizarre." Her producer stated.

"We need to go get some more footage of that battlefield." She said after a moment.

An explosion echoed in the distance and the two of them froze, a siren was wailing in the distance and Christian scrambled away from the table, her eyes wide and stumbled toward the window. Throwing it open and squinting in the early morning light she spotted a column of smoke begin to rise in the distance.

"Get the camera crew up! Something's happening."

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 07:19 hrs<strong>

**Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Arm Slave Maintenance Hangar**

Al stepped out of the hangar, the two secondary arms clutching an Otto/Melala "Boxer 2" 100mm shot cannon loaded with a mixture of 76mm sabot shells and AS sized buckshot shells. In the other arm the Laevatein held tight to the massive 165mm howitzer's barrel attachment while the actual weapon was clutched tightly between his massive hands.

Three Humvees backed away in front of him, two armed with machine guns while the third mounted a TOW anti-tank missile launcher.

_Compensating for recoil, Lambda driver activated…_

A dull glow shimmered into existence around the massive mech just as the Americans opened fire peppering the mech with .50 caliber rounds which bounced harmlessly off the blue shield of the lambda driver. Then a TOW missile smashed into the shield exploding as it hit.

Al lifted the howitzer into the middle of the group and fired. The TOW equipped Humvee was tossed back as metal splinters from the massive artillery shell whipped through the air and tore into the thin skinned cars. The soldiers inside nursed bleeding ears from the concussion and one of the men who had stood behind his .50 caliber machine gun dropped into the cabin bleeding profusely.

"Pointless." Al stated as he stepped past the wrecks and reloaded the howitzer.

A siren wailed in the distance and Al took stock of the situation for the moment. _Primary Objective: Retrieve Sarah Miller and transport her to one of the Gulfstream G. IV Jets. Secondary Objective: Self Destruct this unit to prevent it from falling into enemy hands. Tertiary Objective: Cause as much damage as possible._

_Base alert issued… estimated time till initial mobilization of five minutes. Travel time to Sarah Miller's quarters at three minutes twelve seconds._

Al stepped off and broke into a run toward her quarters. _Prepared to initiate close combat, hostile forces are guarding the objective._

_Welcome to Ragnorok, you bastards…_

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 07:20 hrs<strong>

**Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**5****th**** Squadron, 1****st**** Cavalry Regiment, 1****st**** Brigade Combat Team, 25****th**** Infantry Division**

Specialist David Johnson scrambled up to the kneeling form of his M6 Bushnell, kneeling in the vehicle park as the siren echoed throughout the base. Benny, the technician in charge of the unit swore as the other members of the unit scrambled for their arm slaves.

"What the hell is going on!" He called out as David pulled himself up the mech.

David pulled himself into the cockpit and turned to face his comrade. "I have no fucking clue man, just keep your head down!"

"That's half my job man!" He called out as the hatch hissed shut.

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 07:22 hrs<strong>

**Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Home of Sarah Miller, On-base Officer's Quarters**

Sarah Miller swallowed as she leaned against the side of the door, her hands wrapped tightly around the cool metal of her FN Five-seveN pistol. Through the wood she could hear the whispered conversation of her guards, complaining about the cold. A base alert siren wailed in the distance and she smiled.

_Al is coming._ She took a deep breath. _He'll be here any second and drive these guys away._

The even bang of twenty-five millimeter cannon echoed just outside her door followed by the sound of a missile launch. Seconds later an explosion rattled the house and she heard wood splinter from metal shrapnel. Her ears rung from the concussion and she shook her head to clear them.

The firing stopped and Sarah smashed through the door stopping in surprise as she saw the two Bradley IFVs that had been sitting just outside to guard her home tossed onto their sides perforated by splinters from an enormous howitzer shell. The ARX-8 Laevantein stood over a humvee that had been cleaved in two by a monomolecular cutter, one of the sergeants that had escorted her to the meeting with the colonel sat inside, his hands raised above his heads in surrender.

A smirk slipped across her lips as she scrambled past them and waved. "Bye Sergeant."

The cockpit to the ARX-8 popped open with a hiss and she scrambled up its form using a set of handholds. Her arms ached ass he pulled her way up the last few meters into the cockpit and tumbled into the master room. Twisting around, she settled inside seat and fastened the restraints just before the hatched hissed shut. Only the single monitor off to the side flickered to life displaying the surrounding area.

"Welcome aboard Sarah, I suggest you hold on tight. The Americans are scrambling to intercept us."

A series of alarms echoed in the cockpit and the cracked tactical display lit up with multiple contacts. Sarah's eyes widened in concern as she felt the AS move around her and a whine echoed from where the Lambda driver was mounted. "Al?"

"Multiple hostiles, don't concern yourself with them Sarah. I will deal with them." The load-out display blinked as the AS switched from the howitzer to the Boxer shot cannon. "Engaging."

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 07:25 hrs<strong>

**Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Base Command Bunker**

"God damn it, get everything we've got out to stop that Arm Slave!" Colonel Johanns roared as he stared at the tactical displays in the base command post. Around him subordinates scrambled to issue orders while his liaison with the twenty-fifth infantry division screamed on the radio to get the Arm Slaves and tanks of the unit ready. Across from him an Air Force captain was yelling through a satellite phone connection to the Third Wing to scramble ground support aircraft.

"Sir, its Lambda driver equipped right, do we have anything that can punch through?" The lieutenant asked.

"No, but a Lambda driver isn't an omnidirectional defense, if we flank him we have a chance." The Colonel said.

"Ice Dragoon squadron, we have contact!" One of the radio channels called out.

Another crackled to life. "Four-three to HQ, rolling to point alpha, have hostile in sight."

The Colonel scowled. _Damn you Miller, you could have helped us but who's to say you won't sell your talents to our enemies. It seems I have to end you._ Lifting the receiver he took a deep breath. "All units engage at will. Bring that thing down."

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 07:27 hrs<strong>

**Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Hangar Group 12 – Valkyrie Squadron Aircraft Storage**

The Laevantein scrambled between a pair of hangar buildings, its hands clasped tightly around the 100mm Boxer 2 shot cannon as it ran. A line of four M1 Abrams tanks sped across the tarmac at full tilt sending a cloud of snow up in the wake. Each one was capable of moving at nearly one-hundred kilometers per hour despite their immense weight of nearly one-hundred tons.

_Boxer ammunition mix unsuitable for direct engagement of Abrams… the 45mm diameter buckshot will cause significant damage to the unarmored sensor systems and periscopes but will not penetrate. The 76mm sabot round will only penetrate if fired downward on the roof or upward through the floor. I will have to close in to allow for plunging fire against this opposition._

The air reverberated with the crack of a sabot round slamming through the air at over twice the speed of sound as it flashed over the shoulder of the mech and pierced through the armored hangar. Al ducked down low for a moment then jumped, using the massively powerful leg muscles of the unit to hurl himself over the hangar. As he spun through the air he caught sight of six more hostiles, a team of M6 Bushnells clambering their way through the buildings toward his position.

Inside the chest of the mech Al watched Sarah's face turn a ghostly pale as the g-forces of the maneuver slammed into her. She gasped as the mech landed and Al noted her reaction.

_I must be more careful, she is not as strong as Sagara. I do not wish to arrive at the egress point with her passed out._

He lifted his 100mm Boxer shot cannon as his feet hit the roof of one of the armored hangars and fired sending a 76mm sabot screaming through the air and into the roof of one of the tank turrets. The armor storage compartment blew open with a flash and the two panels that covered it fluttered down through the air as bright red and light flashes shot from the inside like a fireworks display.

"One down." Al's voice stated both inside and outside the massive mech as he scrambled off the roof just before a high explosive shell slammed into it and sent metal splinters sparking across his armor.

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 07:28 hrs<strong>

**Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**3****rd**** Squadron, 4****th**** Cavalry Regiment, 3****rd**** Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division**

Inside one of the tanks the four man crew was working frantically. "Target, AS two o'clock, load HEAT!"

"Gun up!" The loader yelled inside the M1 Abrams as the gunner pressed his eyes to the scope and followed the swiftly moving arm slave through the thermal sights.

"Ready." The gunner called out as the tank commander stared through his periscope.

"Fire." The tank commander stated.

The gunner punched the trigger on his controls and the tank lurched as the enormous 120mm smoothbore cannon set a high explosive anti-tank shell rocketing toward the red and white arm slave at just under a thousand meters a second.

"Shot gone!" The gunner yelled as the loader leapt into action grabbing another round.

A flash of blue-white light encircled the mech through the tank periscope and the HEAT round exploded three meters from its target, expending all its energy uselessly against the shield. The commander's eyes widened as the massive mech skidded to a stop and lifted its own 100mm shot cannon and fired.

Forty-five millimeter buckshot tore through the external sensors, ripping apart the commander's periscope and thermal imaging system for the guns. The man stared in shock at the blackened screens before a bang echoed in the tank followed by the grim sound of a ricocheting shell bouncing around inside the tank reached his ears. An alarm echoed in each compartment as the ammo compartment sealed itself and vented.

"Condition red! Everybody out! Bail out!" The commander yelled as he pushed open the hatch and scrambled out into the cold air of the Alaskan morning.

The second round from the shot cannon had sent a 76mm sabot tearing through the driver's compartment, bouncing through the turret traverse mechanism before tearing through the gas turbine of the engine. Glancing down at the driver's compartment the commander could see the hole from the round's entry atop the driver's hatch and a splatter of blood from the station. Then glancing up he saw the AS shift its aim to the next tank in the formation and fire.

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 07:29 hrs<strong>

**Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**5****th**** Squadron, 1****st**** Cavalry Regiment, 1****st**** Brigade Combat Team, 25****th**** Infantry Division**

"Two and three!" The robotic voice announced as Specialist David Johnson scrambled around the corner of a hangar. His M6's arms clasped tight around the boxer shot cannon. Just ahead of him, his section leader lifted his 40mm rifle and let loose sending hissing white tracers toward the foe. Round after round either sputtered and flashed against the shield of the Lambda driver or ricocheted away, gouging divots in the tarmac or arcing high into the air to fall far from its intended target.

Before he could react, the mech pulled an anti-tank dagger from a holster on its knee and hurled it into the section leader. A blinding flash marked the impact as the shaped charge within the weapon sent the blade slamming through the armor and tearing it apart.

"Jesus! This is Ice Dragoon Nine. Lead is down! Take cover!" David yelled as he maneuvered the mech back around the hangar before a follow up shot could take him down. "Someone flank him. Hostile is a Venom!"

The radio crackled as an M1 Abrams sped by the hangar driving as fast as it could in reverse, the commander's cupola machine gun firing a continuous barrage of .50 caliber ammunition as it passed. "Four-three, lost three tanks… we're withdrawing from combat! Four-Three-Baker and Four-Three-Charlie are en-route but they're under-strength. God, get us some air support!" Another anti-tank dagger flashed past and struck the tank just below the gun mantle. David watched in horror as the entire turret was pulled from its mount and flames flashed out from inside.

"Roger this is Wolf Six-Three, we have Apache's en-route. They do not have a full combat load… there wasn't time."

"Four-three is down, I saw his tank… Jesus, I think they're all dead." David said as his fingers tightened around the controls. _Shit, I thought fighting M9s was bad, what the hell is this thing. It's like a Venom but… Mithril?_ He swallowed down a lump in his throat. "Ice Dragoon Nine to HQ, do you guys have any ideas… it's like fighting a Snake, but worse!"

"Understood Ice Dragoon Nine, continue combat. Reinforcements are en-route!"

_How?_ His mind yelled as two of his comrades in their M6s rushed around the corner of the hangar and opened fire. Swallowing down a lump he spun around as well and raised his shot cannon just as the boom of the enemy's gun echoed in the cockpit. Forty-five millimeter pieces of buckshot ripped through the body of one of the M6s and the unit dropped, smoke and steam rising from its smashed body.

David swore and centered the reticule on the enemy Arm Slave before it suddenly leapt away out of sight. A pair of Ah-64D Apache Longbows screamed overhead, their cannons chattering with fire as they tried to bracket the swift Arm Slave.

Before he could shout a warning, the leaping Arm Slave fired again, skewering one of the Apaches through the engine with a sabot round. Its engine dead the Apache's rotors slowed before it plowed into the side of a maintenance shed. The red and white AS disappeared from view once again.

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 07:32 hrs<strong>

**Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Maintenance Building A-4**

Christian Amanpour did her best to ignore the biting cold as she stood on the roof of one of the maintenance buildings beside her camera crew. Clasped in her hands were a set of binoculars that she kept trained on the fight to the south. The clap of explosions and flash of tracers were of an intensity that she'd never seen in a battle she'd witnessed.

_It's no wonder these two forces caused so much destruction so fast. The Serbs and Bosnians never had the same level of intensity. This must be the difference between a trained professional army and those… mobs._

"Whoa! Look at that thing move." One of the cameramen said as he struggled to track the red and white AS that the Americans were focused on it. A shield flashed to life as cannon rounds from one of the Apache's arced toward it, blocking each round as if it were nothing.

"Unbelievable." Her producer whispered as the AS spun and lifted what appeared to be shotgun up and fired, smashing the Apache and dropping it like a hunter out for birds. After a fireball rose from the impact sight the shockwave echoed over them and Christian winced at the sound.

"It's heading toward those hangars!" The cameraman called out as Christian Amanpour watched two more Bushnells rush to intercept the massive mech.

_We might not have gotten footage of the fight before, but this is unbelievable._ She thought. "We should take cover, they're getting closer!"

"Right!" One of the cameramen yelled as he began to back toward the roof access. The reverberation of heavy rounds cutting through the air drove them both toward the comparative shelter of the innards of the building.

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 07:35 hrs<strong>

**Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**5****th**** Squadron, 1****st**** Cavalry Regiment, 1****st**** Brigade Combat Team, 25****th**** Infantry Division**

David swore as his shots burst uselessly against the shield of the red and white mech. "Fuck, this just isn't fair!"

A barrage of buckshot ripped through the air beside him and dropped the last member of his section beside himself. Swallowing down a lump as he heard his comrade's scream before the rumble of the multi-ton body dropping to the ground, David backed away pumping his boxer and firing as quickly as he could.

The white and red arm slave raced forward a monomolecular cutter appearing in his hand and slammed into him, knocking him through the armored doors of a hangar. Sparks shot off the blade as it glanced off his shot cannon.

"ERA equipped." A robotic voice stated and suddenly the mech dropped the cutter and kicked the shot cannon out of his hands before it drew its huge Boxer 2 shot cannon from its back.

David jerked in his seat, rolling out from under the mech and grabbed at the shot cannon, as its hands grasped the weapon he found himself staring into the gaping maw of the 100mm bore of his opponent's weapon.

"I know what you're thinking, did he fire seven shots or eight? Because if I fired seven shots there'd be one in the chamber, but if I fired eight… this weapon would be empty. To tell the truth in all this excitement I lost track, so I have one question for you? Do you feel lucky punk?"

David felt his blood run cold at the robotic rant, whoever or whatever was piloting that thing knew he was no threat. _Shit._

* * *

><p>In the cockpit Sarah smirked. <em>Sagara always said the AI had a sense of humor, but where'd this come from? Perhaps he's been downloading movies or something.<em>

* * *

><p>"Come on, make my day." The statement echoed across the tarmac as the ARX-8 Laevantein lowered its smoking shot cannon to point directly at the cockpit of the M6 that was struggling beneath it. When the hatch popped open with a hiss and the pilot raised his hands in surrender, the enormous robot pulled the trigger and a mechanical clack showed that the weapon was empty. Then it lifted the weapon and tossed it aside.<p>

"Get out of here." He stated.

* * *

><p>Sarah smiled and glanced at the display. "Al, let's get going."<p>

"Proceeding to egress point." Al stated.

An idea appeared as she glanced at the singular display and pursed her lips trying to ignore the chafing from the harness and the way her stomach clenched at the sudden movements of the mech. She took a deep breath. "Good, open a communications channel on US military frequencies. No encryption, I want them all to hear this." Sarah smiled at the internal optics.

"Roger. Channel open." The robotic voice replied and she heard the internal optics whir slightly as if rotating to study her.

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 07:37 hrs<strong>

**Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Base Command Bunker**

Colonel Johanns felt sweat run down his cheek as he glanced at the display. "Shit, get the whole damn division geared up… our first responders are all down!"

"Yes sir, I'll get divisional command. Shouldn't you inform Washington?" One of the radio specialist's asked.

"Don't worry about that. Just do your damn job!" The Colonel yelled as he stared at the displays. "Damn it!"

"Sir, the AS is broadcasting on our channels in the clear." One of the communications specialists called out from his seat.

The Colonel growled. "Put it through damn it!"

With a click the speakers let a familiar voice fill the room. "Colonel Johanns, after due consideration I've decided not to accept your offer. Either one of them, I am… taking a third option? Be advised that this AS is Lambda driver equipped and configured to use the device as part of its self-destruct protocol. It will detonate within one hour, and while doing the math in my head is a pain, I think I'm right in saying that you don't want to be anywhere near a 1.2 kiloton explosion. Keep trying to stop me from leaving and this AS will show you how it defeated the most powerful AS ever constructed."

"Damn it Sarah!" The Colonel roared.

With a click the transmission cut off. The Colonel snarled. "Fuck! We don't have a choice, signal an evacuation, get everyone off base and someone get me Washington. If the russkies see that thing light up without warning it could cause a goddamn nuclear war!"

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 07:40 hrs<strong>

**Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Hangar 9-B**

_So this is what it feels like to kick snow in the face of a world superpower?_ Sarah smirked to herself. She'd come a long way from the shaken girl that'd been rescued from Siberia, running out of the hands of the Soviet Union and into the waiting arms of Mithril. Now she was running again, but this time it felt better, much better.

"Al boosted self-destruct protocol one hour detonation." She said as she felt the AS move around her. Through the display she could see the four Gulfstream IV jets that Mithral had used to ferry important personnel.

"Roger, now arriving at egress point. I am beginning to disengage from the ARX-8s systems. I have intercepted an evacuation order from the Colonel and can see soldiers loading into trucks. It seems they took your threat seriously." The AS knelt down beside one of the Gulfstream IV jets and the hatches opened with a hiss.

"Good, if we take out the base too maybe they'll get the message not to screw with a whispered." Sarah said as she unstrapped herself from the harness. "Disconnect yourself."

"Disconnecting."

Pursing her lips she watched the displays and saw a chain of error messages indicating the failure of the AI system. _It's not a failure it just disconnected._ She pulled open a panel and removed a set of connections to a box around the size of a suit case then pulled it free, grasping a carrying handle.

As she stumbled out of the arm slave she fell, hitting the ground with a thud. _Damn Al, I had no idea you were this heavy._ She stumbled upright and grabbed the suitcase and stumbled to the jet. She scrambled through the hatch and dropped Al beside the entrance before walking up to the cockpit and staring at the controls. _All this planning and I forgot one thing, I can't fly._

Scowling to herself she leaned over the cockpit and stared at the instruments for a moment before spotting a set of familiar ports for an AI. She spun back and grabbed Al, lugging the box into the copilot's seat and pulling out some cables from beside the port. After a moment the speakers in the cockpit crackled to life.

"Miss Miller, you do realize I was not designed to fly a plane."

"I know, base it off the rapid deployment controls or something. This is our only real chance." Miller said as she slipped into the cockpit and pulled on a set of headphones.

"Roger. Beginning startup sequence and engaging ECS. Perhaps I should quickly see if there is any flight instruction available online."

"But…" Miller began remembering just how isolated they were.

"That was a joke, Miss Miller."

"Very funny Al." She muttered to herself before sitting behind the pilot's seat and strapping in. Out the windows she saw the plane had begun rolling, taxing toward the runway. All around military vehicles were streaming for the base exits cutting across the runway in some cases.

As the plane turned onto the runway she glanced at the speaker nervously. "You do know what you're doing right?"

"I repeat: I was not designed to fly a plane." As Al spoke the engines revved up to full and plane ran down the runway.

Miller swore as a Humvee flashed past in front of them barely missing their stealth aircraft before it climbed into the sky. The bright early morning enveloped them as the plane rose. Taking a deep breath Sarah unfastened the harness and leaned back in the plush seat. "Al, eta?"

"Seven hours, I am afraid we will be very low on fuel when we arrive."

Sarah nodded and pulled her coat off, dropping it to the deck behind the seats. As the cabin warmed she removed the additional layers one after another. As the last layer beside her clothes dropped to the floor she glanced at the time.

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 11:41 hrs<strong>

**Washington, District of Columbia, United States**

**White House Situation Room**

President Bill Clinton strode into the situation room, ignoring the rising of the aids and staffers as he entered and glared at the monitors. Only two feeds were active, one from the National Reconnaissance Office, the second was from CNN news.

"Can someone tell me what the hell is going on?" The president asked as his National Security Advisor followed him in and stared at the screens. "Sandy?"

"I have no idea sir."

The two of them glanced at the CNN feed and swallowed as the familiar face of Christian Amanpour appeared in a window beside Wolf Blitzer. The bar along the bottom of the screen announced breaking news as the woman began to speak swiftly.

"Wolf, as far as we can tell a renegade Arm Slave pilot, possibly one of the prisoners from the recent assault on the Mithril base here managed to steal an advanced Arm Slave and use it to affect an escape." She glanced at her notes for a moment. "Apparently as part of the escape he set some sort of self-destruct… we're being told to evacuate. Already the military is loading everyone into trucks, Mithril personnel, prisoners, and other correspondents."

"Can you tell us anything else Christian?" Wolf asked.

The reporter hesitated for a moment then nodded. "Yes Wolf, some of my sources here tell me the Arm Slave in question was equipped with some sort of experimental device called a 'Lambda' Driver. We're not sure what it is, but from the way everyone is reacting it must be dangerous… we've got some footage of the fight. I should warn you, some of it is rather graphic."

The president swallowed as a red and white AS decimated the opposition before it, destroying four M1 Abrams tanks on camera before wiping out a section of M6 Bushnells. His throat dry he glanced at the National Security Advisor. "Who is administrating the base?"

"Colonel Michael Johanns." The National Security Advisor answered. "I got his report here but haven't gotten a chance to read it."

The door to the room opened and General Henry Hugh Shelton stepped inside, a worried expression on his face. "Mister President, it seems we need to call Moscow."

Bill Clinton glanced between his two aids. "Why exactly?"

"The escapee is the whispered Sarah Miller. She set the Lambda Driver aboard the ARX-8 Laevantein to overload as part of the self-destruct. The Soviets might see it as a nuclear launch or other provocative act." He said quickly. "It could cause them to… overeat and launch a retaliatory strike."

The President swallowed and walked over to the teletype machine to Moscow, the direct line to the Kremlin. "Hell."

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 08:40 hrs<strong>

**9 km South of the Mithril Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Ridge 1540, Site of the Battle**

Christian Amanpour swallowed as she glanced at her watch. Behind her the burnt out hulks from the struggle to gain the base sat. The 25th Division's media liaison officer had gotten lost in the scramble to escape, but word from the grunts had told them of what was about to occur. Some of the AS pilots had said it outright… Lambda Driver detonation, though no one seemed to know what it actually meant, how far from the base they would have to be for their safety or just how dangerous the event would be.

But they had a time.

The camera beside her whirred quietly as the man who set it up checked the focus on the single AS that sat on the tarmac its red and white paint making it stand out against the drab concrete. He glanced warily at her as she passed. "Any word on how bright this is supposed to be?"

Christian shook her head and took a deep breath. "I suppose we should all look away, there's no telling how…"

A blue white flash engulfed the entire base. A second later a rumble washed over them as a shockwave hit. Christian stared as the flash faded… and then gaped in shock. The base was gone… disappearing with the flash and leaving only a huge divot in the earth like some cosmic hand had reached down and scooped it up, removing it from the world. Beyond it the trees swayed from the shockwave but few broke and no fires or flames started amongst them.

"What the hell is a Lambda driver?" She asked the thin air and stared at the empty piece of land and swallowed back a lump in her throat.

"Should we go to the medics and ask them to check us for radiation?" Her producer suggested quietly.

"Yes… I think we should." She swallowed down the bile that rose in her throat. "There's no telling what we were just exposed to."

_No telling at all…_

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 04:01 hrs.<strong>

**Merida Island, South Pacific**

**Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 4 Field Operations Base**

"Say Melissa, does this mean we'll never have to put you on birth control again?" Kurz Weber joked as he adjusted the carrying straps on the M16A3 that was clutched in his hands. Each wore a camouflaged NBC suit and face mask that rendered them all but gender less and extremely, painfully, hot. Apparently nuking Merida Island didn't make it any less tropical, so it was hot even in the middle of the night.

A gloved fist slammed into the top of his head from his compatriot. "Shut it Kurz, our old captain asked us to do one last thing for the old TDD-1. Plus, I'm pretty sure you were sterile before we set foot back here."

"So I fire blanks?" He muttered. "Why would Tessa give us red wine on our return?" Kurz asked as he climbed over the burned and shattered refuse of the base. Ahead they could see the canal that connected the old submarine bay to the sea and the hundreds of pieces of camouflaged construction equipment that a team of United States Seabees had moved into place.

Melissa laughed. "You mean you don't know? I guess they didn't teach you any NBC survival skills… wherever the hell you got your training." She took a deep breath. "Drinking it will help cleanse radioactive contamination from your system."

"Hey, only a United States Jar Head would think about actually fighting a war in terrain like this." Kurz shook his head. "I can't believe the nuke didn't finish off the old Danaan."

"The ship was underground and partly submerged in the water Kurz, and then we're not even counting the Lambda driver activation that Al pulled off that saved Sousuke from becoming carbon dust." Mao shrugged and they stopped at the crest of the canal. There the TDD-1 sat in the middle of the rubble with a simple set of pontoon bridges leading across to the ship itself. It was surprisingly intact. Kurz could see where falling debris had dented the hull and large crumpled sections of the nose belayed the collision that had brought the vessel to the center of the base. Apparently Tessa really could build ships.

"Damn it just looks like it had a little fender bender." Kurz muttered. "Did the captain goose somebody while I was away?"

"Come on, pervert. Let's get this mission done before my brain gets fried from the radiation and the heat." Mao said as they walked toward the bridge and nodded to the guards.

"I can't believe Sousuke survived this." Kurz muttered.

Mao snickered. "Power of love? Not even a Nuke could keep him from Angel."

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 13:28 hrs<strong>

**Washington, District of Columbia, United States**

**Situation Room**

President Bill Clinton shook his head as aircraft from Elmendorf scoured the skies in search of the runaway whispered. The large displays showed a map of Alaska and Artic circle with dozens of green markers declaring the location of flights of fighter, awacs, and other craft. So far they'd turned up nothing.

Russia hadn't responded to the message that had been sent, nor had its alert status increased in any way from reports that NORAD had made. Suddenly a set of red dots appeared on the display over the Soviet Union and he blinked.

"Aircraft confirmed, A-50 'Mainstay'." One of the operators said. "Escorted by Su-35 'Flankers'."

The National Security Advisor swallowed audibly. "Mister President, there still has been no word from Moscow." He glanced at the teletype machine for a moment. "Should we…"

Then the machine spasm into motion printing off a message faster than anyone could type. At the same time the text appeared on a screen beside the aircraft track. Taking a deep breath everyone in the room without an assigned task began to read it.

_Comrade President,_

_It is with great sadness that we hear of the incident that befell your forces in Alaska and the wayward flight of one whispered from your control. Understanding the danger posed by such people outside of government sanction and support we, the people of the great Soviet State will take the following action._

_Units of the 11__th__ Air Army are now receiving orders to scramble to aid in your search. They will cover our airspace and the immediate surroundings. If found the whispered will be forced to land and taken into protective custody. If she refuses to land our pilots will take all necessary measures to ensure that her knowledge does not fall into the hands of a non-government entity._

_Sincerely,_

_President and General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union,_

_Comrade General Vladimir Stochkin_

The national security advisor snickered. "Damn, he's hoping to steal her for himself!"

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 04:40 hrs<strong>

**Merida Island, South Pacific**

_**Tuatha de Danaan-**_**class Submarine Carrier **_**Tuatha de Danaan **_**(TDD-1)**

Mao walked along the hull of the TDD-1, watching engineers weld despite wearing NBC protection and soldiers walked along the hull on patrol. Security was relaxed, most thought the ship commonly known as 'Toy Box' was destroyed. When coupled with the nuclear wasteland spread out all around them it was obvious why they thought no one would bother.

It also helped that Mao had been a marine. Whenever she encountered one of them she fell back on her experience years before. Some things in the corps never changed, but the clincher was that no one would believe that these two people that were trading barbs could be foreign agents. No foreign agent would do that.

Buried deep down Mao's stomach had been doing backflips since she first dropped a booted foot on the irradiated soil. Every time she glanced at Kurz she could see that he felt much the same, the leisurely stance he usually held himself in was tighter wound, uncomfortable. Finally they came to the rear boarding hatch. Pulling open the external hatch Mao watched Kurz glance around the area nervously.

"I'm not sure I ever was in the engine room." Kurz muttered.

Mao shrugged as she clambered down the ladder to the second hatch, the internal one and started to open it. "It's not like it was diesel powered or anything. Palladium reactors don't look like engines we typically think of."

Kurz clambered into the compartment and shut the top hatch behind him leaving the two of them alone for the moment. "God this feels weird."

"You're telling me." Mao muttered as she pulled the bottom hatch open. "I thought the Hong Kong and Tokyo operations were disconcerting." She sighed. "Come on, we've got a ship to scuttle."

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 05:44 hrs<strong>

**Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Airport****, ****Kamchatka Oblast****, Soviet Union**

**865****th**** Interceptor Aviation Regiment (IAP), 11****th**** Air Army**

"Da, I understand comrade. Yes comrade, we will continue to monitor the situation but if she stole a Mithril aircraft we'll almost certainly be unable to detect her." Colonel Sergei Amir stood in the headquarters building of the 865th IAP, a phone clasped to his ear.

A cool and collected voice answered him on the other end of the line. "Colonel, your concerns about their ECS systems is noted, but your orders stand. You are to intercept the Gulfstream G. IV if it enters our airspace and force it to land. Its crew will be taken into protective custody and the aircraft studied."

"Da comrade, even their civil aircraft are ECS equipped and our MiG-31s— Comrade! We don't even know if she's coming this way. Maybe she went to Canada or Europe."

Outside the brightly lit runways of the airbase were crammed with aircraft. A full ten plane squadron was on the taxiway as he spoke and flights of four rolled down the runway drowning out his hearing every thirty seconds. "I am scrambling our planes for the search but without a decent ECCS system I'm afraid we'll never see them."

"You will have better luck than the Americans. Your craft are equipped with infrared sensor domes, are they not? ECS cannot totally hide the infrared signature of an aircraft. Use that to track it down." The man on the other end of the line answered. "Do try to avoid a conflict if the Americans send interceptors up after her."

"Understood Comrade General." With a sigh he slammed down the phone and looked out the window. "Like sending biplanes chasing after a jet, we don't stand a chance in hell."

Shaking his head he walked to the pilot's locker for his G-suit. Orders were orders, and he would carry his out. He had no intention of being lined up against a wall and shot.

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 05:56 hrs<strong>

**Near the International Date Line, North Pacific**

**Gulfstream Nineteen**

"The Russians are looking for us too." Sarah said to herself as she looked down at the passive radar display in the cockpit, at the edge of range maybe five hundred kilometers or further she could see new contacts ahead. Smirking to herself she leaned back in the chair. "Waste of fuel." She laughed and slipped out of the pilot's seat heading back to the cabin area. This was a diplomat's jet that meant there was a tiny kitchen somewhere aboard, at least someplace to make coffee.

She needed coffee. The flight to and from Okinawa coupled with the demands made upon her by Colonel Johanns had completely destroyed her sleep cycle. _It's only five more hours, you can handle five more hours can't you?_ She sighed.

"I concur. Sending those planes to find us seems like a waste of fuel. Those MiG-31 radars are powerful but not designed with detecting a plane with ECS aboard. The Americans seem to have given up with that Awacs."

"Not quite, we'll probably be dodging them around Hokkaido again. They do have bases in Japan after all." Sarah mused to herself. She smirked as she found a coffee maker hidden in a cabinet and set to work.

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 05:01 hrs.<strong>

**Merida Island, South Pacific**

_**Tuatha de Danaan-**_**class Submarine Carrier **_**Tuatha de Danaan **_**(TDD-1)**

Melissa and Kurz stepped into the engine room, their weapons hanging idly from the web gear they wore along with the NBC suits. Inside a pair of Seabees leaned over one of the drive motors and seemed to be at work with a set of spanners.

One of them glanced up as they walked in. "Huh, what are you two jar-heads doing?"

"Patrolling the ship." Mao answered automatically. "What's it look like we're doing?"

The Seabee shrugged and went back to work as Mao pulled an electronic key from her pocket and walked up to the main control console. Beside her Kurz pulled out an identical one. Without a glance they inserted the keys at the console, looked at each other and nodded. They turned the keys.

The display lit up and the two Seabees stood as a dull thrum echoed in the room. "What the hell?"

Mao tapped the display and selected ten minutes as Kurz chambered a round in his rifle. Without blinking she tapped the execute key.

"Scuttle protocol initiated. Self-Destruct by Palladium Reactor Overload in ten minutes. Evacuate. Evacuate."

"I always thought the announcements were sexier when the AI was online. She had a voice." Kurz called out as the Seabees stared at the two of them. Smirking Kurz waved. "Mithril says, auf wiedersehen. Better run, suckers."

As the Seabees ran for the exit Mao smacked him in the face and shrugged. "One track mind."

"You know you love it. Now let's get out of here." Kurz said as he headed for one of the doors. "Come on!"

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 06:05 hrs<strong>

**Russian Territorial Waters, Near the Bering Strait**

**865****th**** Interceptor Aviation Regiment (IAP), 11****th**** Air Army**

Colonel Sergei Amir flexed his gloved hand as he looked out over the morning light. Glancing behind and two his left he saw his wingman in her brand new MiG-31, its shining fuselage glinting in the morning light. Smirking slightly he glanced back down at the radar display between his legs and saw the active scans of the rest of the regiment, all forty odd aircraft with their radars scanning the skies. Taking a deep breath he switched the display over to infrared and leaned back.

"Switching to infrared." He stated blandly. _As if this will actually work._ It was strange focusing on the rarely used infrared scanner, the Americans didn't even bother fitting one on most of their craft instead relying on sensors in the missiles themselves.

"Lead, contact my nose… sixty kilometers." His wingman stated, her pitch rising in astonishment.

Sergei felt his eyes go wide as he glanced down at his displays. "Confirmed!"

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 05:13 hrs.<strong>

**Merida Island, South Pacific**

_**Tuatha de Danaan-**_**class Submarine Carrier **_**Tuatha de Danaan **_**(TDD-1)**

Kurz and Melissa ran across the pontoon bridge that connected the TDD-1 with the shore. As they reached the end the ship burst open and flames burned through the entirety of the vehicle reducing its insides to cinders while the hull cracked and burst along its seams before slowly settling out of sight in the water.

Smirking to himself Kurz clambered out of the canal and sighed. "I'm kind of disappointed."

"What? Why?" Mao asked.

"Where's the earth shattering kaboom?" He asked.

Mao shook her head and pulled the satellite phone from her pack. "Dao to White Gold, the toy box is busted."


	14. Chapter 12: Egress Under Fire

**Sword and Shield**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12:<strong> Egress Under Fire.

* * *

><p><strong>Egress<strong> 1. _n. _An exit or way out. 2. _n._ The process of exiting or leaving. 3. _n._ (astronomy) The end of the apparent transit of a small astronomical body over the disk of a larger one. 4. _n._ (military) The return to base from a mission objective.

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 05:15 hrs<strong>

**Merida Island, South Pacific**

**Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 4 Field Operations Base**

Commander Sailor swore, an incessant stream of curses that left those that heard his rant wincing as they backed away from him. He stared at the glowing remains of the world's largest and most advanced submarine, nearly four hundred meters from bow to stern now just a glowing wreck.

"Sir?" A marine captain called out to him and he spun, still sputtering curses under his breath.

"What is it?" He stammered. His face still flushed with rage. _To think I lost a ship in port, let alone the Toy Box. I'll be a complete laughing stock after this!_

"Two of the Seabees reported that a pair dressed as marines set the self-destruct of the ship, and one of them claimed to be from Mithril."

"Do you have a description?" He asked, glaring at the NBC clad soldier.

"Umm…" The man just glanced down at his own clothing and Commander Sailor winced realizing that there was nothing to describe.

"Well find them! Question anyone trying to leave base! Understand!" He yelled.

"Yes sir!"

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 06:20 hrs<strong>

**Russian Territorial Waters**

**Gulfstream Nineteen**

While Sarah Miller busied herself in the small kitchenette in the plane Al's mind was focused entirely on flying the craft. Despite his admonishments to the contrary he found that piloting it was easily within his abilities. _It's very much like the rapid deployment system, not to mention those wing pylon attachments but I can travel much further this way._

The passive sensor displays told of another concern as the plane approached the Kamchatka Peninsula. The territorial boundaries between Russia and would grow fuzzy shortly but for now they were firmly in Russian Airspace, but then they had little choice. The direct route and the only one that would take them to Tokyo with their limited fuel supply required a passage through their airspace, and the Russians were out in force. Already his sensors had picked up nearly a hundred different radar signals ranging from everything A-50 Awacs craft to MiG-31 Interceptors.

Two of which had just made a long turn to approach from the rear at a range of fifty kilometers. _MiG-31 Foxhounds are infrared sensor equipped. Could they have detected us?_

"Sarah." He called out. "Two Russian aircraft appear to be pursuing us now."

"What?" She called back from the kitchenette. "Is the ECS still on?"

"Affirmative, but it doesn't mask infrared emissions very well, as you well know!" The AI's steady voice increased in volume, the best it could do to convey urgency. "Could you hurry up and strap in, in-case I am required to take evasive action?"

"I am hurrying, as I have repeatedly been informed by the base mess sergeant, brewing coffee to keep us engineers awake is an art form!" Sarah muttered back.

Lacking internal cameras Al couldn't watch her work and if he had the capacity to shrug he would have. "I must question your priorities."

"Let's see, where's the sugar and creamer…" Sarah muttered.

"Contacts now at thirty kilometers, they'll be in infrared missile range in two minutes." Al stated blandly. "I suggest you get strapped in before then."

"Alright! No wonder Sagara always complained about you in his reports." Sarah muttered as she returned to the cockpit with a large mug filled with coffee. Scowling she glanced down at it. "I should have gotten a lid."

"I would suggest you do so, I have no intention of burning my passenger if I'm forced to take evasive action." Al stated.

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 06:27 hrs<strong>

**Russian Territorial Waters**

**865****th**** Interceptor Aviation Regiment (IAP), 11****th**** Air Army**

Sergei Amir glanced at his displays, the Infra-red search and track system marking the invisible contact plainly on his displays. He smirked somewhat. _I always thought this system was a bit useless with Awacs in use now by NATO and our own country sneaking up on somebody is almost impossible._

Sergei flipped through the missile systems hanging from his airframe before settling on the R-73 Vympel missiles. Known as AA-11 Arche_r_ missiles by the NATO alliance each had greater range and maneuverability then the American AIM-9 but less range then the ASRAAM and less maneuverability then the new AIM-9X.

As the warbling tone of the infrared seeker caught in his headset Sergei took a deep breath and glanced over his shoulder confirming his wingman's presence then he keyed the radio system. "Boscha five-one nebo, beginning transmission."

"Boscha control, nebo acknowledged."

Sergei tapped the radio controls switching over to the general aviation frequency and cleared his throat switching over to English. "Unknown aircraft this is Colonel Amir of the VVS, you have entered Soviet Airspace. You are ordered to divert to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, refusal to obey these instructions will result in us considering your intention hostile. Do you understand?"

A female voice crackled across the radio a second later. "Nuts!"

_What the hell does that mean?_ Sergei thought as he centered the targeting reticle in his sights. "I repeat, you are to divert to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. You have thirty seconds to comply."

"They're throttling up." His wingman called out.

Sergei scowled as he glanced down at his controls. "Arm weapons."

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 06:30 hrs<strong>

**Russian Territorial Waters**

**Gulfstream Nineteen**

"No way in hell am I landing for some Soviet!" Sarah said as she strapped herself in as quickly as she can. "Not after what they did!"

"I understand." Al stated simply. "I suggest you tighten those straps as best you can, very severe maneuvers will be required to evade any launch. We are fortunate this craft is equipped with flare and chaff dispensers."

"You have ten seconds." A voice echoed across the radio and Sarah swallowed down a lump in her throat.

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 06:31 hrs<strong>

**Russian Territorial Waters**

**865****th**** Interceptor Aviation Regiment (IAP), 11****th**** Air Army**

"Time is up." Sergei stated flatly. "Boscha control, target refuses to divert."

"Acknowledged, you are rabotayu."

"Poshel." Sergei answered as he tightened his grip on the stick. "Pusk!"

An R-73 Vympel rocketed off its mount and hissed toward the invisible target, as it approached suddenly a barrage of flares flashed into existence and Sergei watched the target track dive downward. The infrared missile exploded amongst the flares harmlessly.

"Miss." Sergei called out as he rolled his plane over onto its back and dove in chase. "Continuing engagement."

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 12:35 hrs<strong>

**Washington, District of Columbia, United States**

**White House Situation Room**

In the situation room the National Security Advisor watched two MiG-31s give chase to some invisible craft. Already missiles had been caught on radar. He glanced over at the technician monitoring the situation. "Damn, it looks like the Russians found them."

"Yes sir. From the position it looks like the Gulfstream is en-route to Japan." The technician stated quickly.

"Mister President, we should alert the 35th Fighter Group at Misawa to go to combat readiness. If the Russians fail to catch them we'll have one more chance as they enter Japanese airspace." Sandy Berger, the National Security Advisor stated quickly.

Bill Clinton nodded. "Do it."

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 06:37 hrs<strong>

**Russian Territorial Waters**

**Gulfstream Nineteen**

Sarah screamed as the g-forces built up on her body and warning alarms echoed in the cockpit. Outside the glass the horizon tore past as she heard pops from the back of the plane. She fought to keep her eyes open as a missile hissed past the cockpit, its motor already burnt out leaving a smoking trail as it dipped toward the ocean and splashed against the water's surface.

_What the hell is that popping sound? Are we hit, why isn't Al talking! _ Her mind yelled as the plane twisted and made a break turn. She gasped for air as the wall of force from the turn slammed into her chest as if an elephant had settled upon it.

The missile warnings stopped and she blinked away tears. "God, oh my God…"

"The hostile aircraft have ceased fire. I have detected four separate launches from each so they have likely expended their ammunition. The nearest reinforcements are three hundred kilometers away. We will be in Japanese air space before they can reach us." Al stated before pausing. "Sarah? Are you alright?"

"No… give me a minute." She wheezed as she leaned back in the seat. "Don't they have guns?"

"They do, however it would be exceedingly difficult to get a firing solution with a gun against a target with only an infrared signature." Al stated. "Ninety units of flares have been expended, only thirty units remain. Sarah, if we are intercepted by American units over Hokkaido I do not believe we have sufficient countermeasures to evade their attack."

"Fuck!" She said.

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 06:40 hrs<strong>

**Russian Territorial Waters**

**865****th**** Interceptor Aviation Regiment (IAP), 11****th**** Air Army**

"Who the hell is flying that thing?" Sergei asked quietly as he glanced at his fuel reserves and expended ordnance. "Eight launches, no hits?"

"They are quite good Comrade." His wingman answered quickly.

Sergei Amir nodded. "Boscha control, infrared guided weapons expended, unable to achieve lock with radar guided munitions. Requesting orders?"

"Continue pursuit, additional aircraft are diverting to your contact."

"Control, we'll be over the Kuril Islands by then… That's contested airspace." Sergei said quickly.

"Understood Comrade Colonel, we are contacting Moscow for additional information and updates on rules of engagement. Keep contact." The control answered quietly.

"Control, I'll be out of fuel by then as well!" Sergei growled.

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 06:43 hrs<strong>

**Russian Territorial Waters**

**Gulfstream Nineteen**

Sarah Miller swore as she watched the two fighters continue to shadow them on the displays before her. Her hands shook quietly as she glanced down at the GPS and satellite map. "Al, is there anywhere we can divert to? Someplace that'd be nice and quiet en-route where we could dump the plane?"

"Negative, up until Hokkaido the territory we are flying over is a possession of the Soviet Union. While the Kuril Islands are diplomatically contested by the government in Tokyo they are occupied by Soviet forces. Landing there would be… inadvisable."

"Damn it!" Sarah growled as she closed her eyes. _I need help, but from who?_ She glanced at the satellite radio system and set her jaw. _Maybe something's left of Mithril that can help. It's my only real chance. _

She picked up the headset and set it to the emergency channel and wondered if anyone in the world would pick up the transmission she was about to bounce across a set of commercial satellites.

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 05:46 hrs<strong>

**Merida Island, South Pacific**

**3 km from the Egress Point**

Kurz walked just in front of and to the left of Mao, his hands tight around the M16A3 rifle while Melissa glanced over her shoulder at the base. A cloud of smoke rose from the site as well as multiple clouds of dust from a squadron of Humvees that rolled out of the base. Ahead a foot patrol of four marines trudged through the ash. As they approached the leader of the group stopped and glanced at their names and insignias.

"Wait… I don't remember you two being in our battalion." He stated as he came to a stop. "What unit are you with?"

"2nd Platoon, I Company, 3rd Battalion, we were sent here to help beef up security. It sounds like we're too late." Mao said.

"Really? I don't remember hearing anything about I Company getting sent here. Hey Gibs, weren't you in I Company till you transferred in last month?" The man said glancing at one of his compatriots.

"Yeah, but that guy wasn't our CO. Hell our Platoon Sergeant was Tod Krillin." The man answered.

"You sure?" The leader of the group asked.

_Shit, this isn't good._ Kurz thought to himself. "I just transferred in myself."

"Obviously, but Lt. James had another three months on the posting when I left." The private answered. Kurz glanced at Melissa who was studying the four marines, the NBC gear making it impossible to read their expressions or even guess at their appearance.

The patrol leader shook his head. "Shit, just give me a second to check your story." He pulled a radio from his pocket.

Two shots rang out and the man slumped to the ground as Melissa spun toward two of the other Marines her rifle already on her shoulder. Kurz, stunned almost as much by the shots lifted his own rifle to face the third hostile and fired, sending two rounds into the man's chest. Despite the ballistic plates he fell forward incapacitated as blood ran down the green camouflage of his uniform.

The other two marines fumbled with their rifles, as Melissa let loose with a burst of fully automatic fire that dropped one of them before spinning on her hip and dropping the other. As the man fell she ejected the magazine and shoved it into her belt before pulling out another one. "Come on Kurz, let's go! I'm sure the boys at base heard that!" She began to run and Kurz cursed his weakened state as he rushed to catch up.

_Convalescence indeed… I just got out of the fucking hospital last month. Damn it Melissa!_ He huffed as he ran. _Its two kilometers to the rendezvous! That's what, ten-fifteen minutes at a dead run?_

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 05:50 hrs<strong>

**Mithril Headquarters, Sydney, Australia**

**Communications Room**

Tessa sat drumming her fingers nervously on the desk while Admiral Jerome Borda sat with an enormous mug of coffee on the table of the infamous American navy brew. Piles of change of ownership forms along with countless dossiers and corporate memos lay scattered around him. He'd been working non-stop besides a few quick naps since they arrived.

_How can he sleep when we've got agents on a mission? Every time I tried I had nightmares when I was in command of the de Danaan. Since that 'Toy Box' is busted message there hasn't been any word from Kurz or Melissa._

She was clad in a loose T-shirt and khaki trousers that felt hot despite the morning hour and pulled down her TDD-1 cap tight over her head. Unlike many she'd worn while on Merida Island it was designed much like the caps she'd seen sported by naval captains from America or Britain. Mardukas had always worn one of his old ships, and now that she no longer captained the de Danaan she found that the cap was now a treasured reminder of better days.

It had gold stitching that displayed the silhouette of the Tuatha de Danaan along with the designation TDD-1, the ship's name, and both Cmdr. Madukas's name and her own under the silhouette.

_Maybe I should add 'Toy Box' to the cap if I have another one special ordered, maybe then they'd know what it was. I got some strange looks from marine officers in America before we fled._

The satellite radio system suddenly lit up as an emergency transmission filtered in. She felt her stomach knot and grabbed the receiver nervously. _Emergency frequency… could the Osprey have been shot down? What about Kurz or Melissa: after everything… to lose them now?_ She felt tears well up in her eyes as she heard a voice over the line and froze.

"This is Mithril Gulfstream Nineteen out of Alaska to any surviving Mithril Base or Outpost, please respond!" The note of panic in the girl's voice jogged Tessa out of her own thoughts as she bent over the microphone.

"Sarah?" She asked in surprise as the Admiral listened in. "Umm… this is Mithril Headquarters in Sydney. Gulfstream Nineteen, please report the nature of your emergency?"

"Tessa?" The sudden outcry of relief made Tessa blink in surprise as she heard a second muffled voice in the background. "Oh thank god, I thought maybe the Americans had caught you too… Listen I stole this jet and got out of Alaska with Al but the Russians are chasing me and I'm sure the Americans are out to get me! I need help!"

"Where are you?" Tessa asked quickly as she scrambled to pull out a map of the pacific.

"Two hours north-north-east of Tokyo, I was going to try and head for Haneda since I didn't know where to go. Sergeant Sagara lives in Tokyo right?" Sarah said quickly.

The Admiral grabbed a phone and quickly began dialing a number as Tessa glanced at the map. "So you're near the Kuril Islands right now?"

"Yeah, that sounds right." She said. "I don't know how to read this that well… Al's the one flying."

The steady voice of the AI cut into the transmission. "Headquarters, we have two MiG-31 Foxhounds currently shadowing us via their Infra-red Track and Scan systems. They tried to get us to divert to a Soviet airfield and opened fire when we refused. We're currently very low on countermeasures. We've also been detecting an American Awacs that's been tracking our pursuers so it's likely we will face additional resistance from American aircraft based in Japan."

"Alright, we'll come up with something, just hold on Sarah." Tessa said staring down at the map. _Kuril Islands, about forty-five minutes out from Hokkaido. When will the Russians abandon pursuit and when will the Americans make their attempt. Would they really shoot down one of our planes over Japanese airspace?_

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 07:00 hrs<strong>

**Misawa Air Base, Japan**

**35****th**** Fighter Group**

At Misawa Air Force Base the briefing room for the United States 35th Fighter Wing two dozen pilots sat down before the base commander. Each already was clad in their G-suit and other field equipment. Most looked at each other nervously, uncertain as to what exactly they had been called here for. A year earlier the group had lent tactical air support to Mithril units attacking Amalgam in Tokyo itself. Nearly half the pilots that had sortied didn't make it back.

The base commander, General Douglas Warren glanced down at his notes and shook his head. He'd never expected a mission assignment like this one. "Alright boys, this mission comes straight from the Pentagon, so listen up."

Behind him a projector flashed to life and an image of a Gulfstream IV jet appeared decorated with the Mithril insignia on its tail. "Approximately six hours ago a young woman by the name of Sarah Miller blasted her way out of Mithril's Alaskan base destroying it with the self-destruction of one of the experimental AS prototypes on site as many of you saw on CNN this morning. For the last hour aircraft from the Soviet Union have raced to intercept the plane and apparently detected it near the Kuril Islands. We are to intercept the craft that the Russians are pursuing."

"Yokota Air Base is deploying three AWACS aircraft to support our search. Each is fitted with an advanced ECCS system, but even so the Pentagon isn't laying good odds on detecting this craft before it enters Japanese air space or even afterwards. You are to escort this craft and force it to land at either Yokota or here at Misawa so its pilot may be taken into protective custody. If the craft refuses to divert you are authorized to shoot it down."

One of the pilots raised his hand. "Sir, what about the JSDF?"

"This is an American operation and is to be considered classified, you are not to speak of it to your fellow pilots in the JSDF or to any unauthorized personnel with all the usual punishments for a breach of security protocol. Mission orders will originate from the AWACS codenamed Eagle Watch. The higher ups are quite insistent that we keep this operation in the dark from the Japanese to avoid a diplomatic incident, as far as the control tower is concerned this is a combat readiness drill and you'll only be following their instruction for taxi, takeoff, and landing."

The pilots glanced at each other nervously. It was an unusual set of orders that was sure. The general swallowed once before glancing back at his notes. "Samurais, Panthers, go bring this girl in."

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 06:07 hrs<strong>

**Merida Island, South Pacific**

**150 meters to Egress Point**

Melissa could hear the rotors of the Osprey as she ran, scrambling over the dusty surface of the island. At times the ground crunched under her feet like she'd jumped on a glass pane. The boom of .50 caliber rounds ripping through the air echoed in her ear drums and she could feel the shock wave from their passage beat upon her chest. Behind her she heard Kurz huffing and puffing.

_Damn he's out of shape since he rejoined us. Guess being stitched back together by Russians will do that to you._

"Come on Kurz, almost there!" Melissa yelled as a flash from an Armor Piercing Incendiary projectile leapt up in front of her. Dazed and a bit stunned by the ringing concussion in her ears from three more .50caliber rounds whipping past she stumbled and fell onto the ground.

"Melissa!" Kurz yelled as he skidded to a shop beside her and wheeled back toward the Humvees in pursuit, his rifle settling on his shoulder. "Are you hit?"

"No! I just stumbled and…" Melissa rolled onto her back and glanced up at him. "Fuck!"

A single round rang out from M16 in his hands and the machine gun fire stopped. "Got the gunner." Without looking he reached down and offered her his hand.

Melissa grabbed it and let him pull her upright. "Let's keep…"

Red tracers hissed past as another Humvee opened fire with the M2 machine gun mounted atop its roof. Swearing in German Kurz lifted his rifle up and fired two quick rounds silencing the new threat.

"Let's go Kurz!" Melissa yelled running once again toward the egress point. "I can hear our ride."

"Did those guys have any weapons on that thing?" Kurz asked as he followed, still breathing heavily.

"I…"

Ahead the MV-22 Osprey appeared out of thin air as it disengaged ECS. The craft was hovering maybe half a meter off the ground with its boarding ramp lowered. They could see the crew chief standing at the top of the ramp behind an M2 Browning machine gun. As they ran it opened fire sending round after round at their pursuers.

"That answer your question?" Melissa yelled as she scrambled the last ten meters to the craft, ducking as friendly .50 caliber rounds whipped past her. She clambered aboard and dropped down on her back as Kurz ran inside. "The Mogadishu mile can kiss my fucking ass!"

The ramp began to close and the crew chief smirked at them. "Heard you needed a lift."

Kurz sat down beside Melissa and took a moment to catch his breath as she sat upright. "Damn right, now get us back to Sydney!"

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 06:10 hrs<strong>

**Mithril Headquarters, Sydney, Australia**

**Communications Room**

The radio crackled as another channel opened. "Sea Eagle to Opera House, we have Dao team aboard and are RTB. Hostile fire encountered during extraction. No casualties."

Tessa let out a sigh of relief and closed her eyes. _That's one less problem to deal with._ She smiled slightly as she keyed the transmit button. "Opera House acknowledges, hurry on home."

That done Tessa turned her attention back to the map of the Hokkaido area and her smile fell. _Now to save Sarah…_ She swallowed down a lump in her throat. _Damn it, the only member of Mithril in country there is… Sousuke._

"Tessa, have you got anything for me?" Sarah asked through the communications line.

Tessa shut her eyes and sighed. "Not yet."

Admiral Jerome Borda shook his head in irritation as he leaned back in his seat with a phone to his ear speaking quickly. "Listen, this is Admiral Jerome Borda of Mithril. I need to speak with the Minister of Foreign Affairs on an urgent matter."

"Please, please let them hear him out…" She muttered to herself. _Damn bureaucracies, they're the same everywhere. _Tessa swallowed back a lump in her throat. "We're working on it Sarah."

"Please hurry." Sarah said. "I'm still over the Kurils and there are more MiGs on the way according to Al."

_Damn it. Who do we have in Japan? Anyone else?_ Tessa closed her eyes and realized she really only had one agent in place and he was already stretched to his limit.

_I have no choice._ She thought to herself as she picked up a phone and scowled in concentration trying to remember the number before turning to a contact book and praying it was listed inside.

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 07:12 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

****Room 404**, Mansion K Apartments  
><strong>

Sousuke lay in bed and sighed, his gaze flicking down to Kaname who was lying with her head against his chest using him as a pillow. He'd turned off her alarm clock after the nightmare electing that she needed the rest more than waking up at a reasonable hour. Glancing at the morning light filtering through the heavy curtains he let out a sigh. _Daylight? I slept in… I never sleep in. _He hadn't intended to either, but the strange sense of peace that had engulfed him as he held her during the night had persisted into his sleep.

Now it was clearly the morning hours, far later than he normally woke. Glancing down at her again he puzzled over how to slip from her grasp without waking her, she looked so content and serene laying there. He ran a hand through her hair and smiled as her still sleeping form murmured contently from the contact.

_She really is an angel. Albeit one that has no qualms with violence._ Sousuke smirked to himself as he thought of an angelic halo round her head while she brandished her harisen. It was an amusing image, one of the few things he'd learned to appreciate recently. His smile fell when he saw his Glock 26 sitting on the nightstand beside her alarm clock and he felt his stomach knot.

_Damn it._ He thought to himself and glanced down at her sleeping form. _How much does she have to go through? I tried so hard to protect her…_

Still asleep Kaname murmured again and snuggled against him, a smile on her lips. _Is she dreaming of happier things now? I hope so._ Sousuke sighed and closed his eyes considering drifting back to sleep when another sound echoed in the apartment.

Deadened by the door he was sure Kaname couldn't hear it, but he could. It was the keening of her home phone. Sighing he glanced down at her and scowled. _How do I answer without waking her up?_ Slowly he glanced around the room and spotted her Bonta-kun stuffed animal. Smiling slightly he picked it up and slid it between them and slowly slipped from her grasp. As he stood she hugged the doll to her chest and smiled dreamily.

_Sleep well Kaname._

Smiling at the image of her in the bed he picked up his Glock 17 and padded out to the living area as the phone continued to ring. Sighing to himself he picked up the receiver. "Chidori Residence, Sagara Sousuke speaking."

His eyes nearly bulged from his sockets as a familiar and soft voice answered his. "Sagara-san, good I was hoping I would catch you."

_Tessa!_

"C-captain! I'm glad to hear from you, I was afraid you and the Admiral had been captured." Sousuke said.

"No, we're alright we'll be on our way to you pretty soon but that's not why I called." Tessa let out a sigh. "Have you seen the news yet?"

"No, I'm afraid you woke me up…" Sousuke ran a hand through his hair nervously.

"Oh, well… Sarah Miller is on the way to Japan with Al." Tessa said nervously.

"Understood, do you want me to meet her at the airport?" Sousuke asked.

"Not exactly." Tessa's voice sounded tense. "She's fleeing the United States military. It seems that they tried to force her to work for them. She reacted a bit severely…"

"Shit, Tessa I've got two CIA Operatives following me around, I don't want to…" His voice gave out as he closed his eyes. _I don't want to leave Kaname alone without any guards._ Sousuke closed his eyes and slowly sat down on the couch. "What is the situation?"

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 07:14 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 509, Lions Mansion Apartments**

The CIA operative swore under his breath as he listened in on the headset. _Fucking hell! We've been identified?_ He swallowed and glanced back at the computer that sat beside the surveillance equipment at the information request message he'd been working on. _Who the hell is this Sagara Sousuke?_

The woman on the line started to speak again and he furrowed his brow. "She stole a Mithril Gulfstream and self-destructed the ARX-8. That base is gone. Fortunately, they managed to evacuate everyone before it exploded…The Americans are scrambling to get her and the Russians are also hoping to nab her as well." She let out a long breath. "I have her radio communications frequency but, I'm uncertain if you have the equipment to contact her presently."

_Another information request… who is this Captain? Clearly this guy is Mithril, and she must be as well. Plus there's that other name… Sarah Miller._

"I did, a year ago. What happened to the equipment I had left in the safe house when it was closed?" Sousuke said.

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 07:15 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**K Mansion Apartments, Room 404**

Sousuke heard a hurried tapping on a laptop for a few minutes before Tessa answered. "It's in a warehouse in Tokyo. Here's the address… 429 Kaigan Dori. She's about two hours out right now, but she's getting low on fuel."

Sousuke repeated the address to himself to ensure he'd remember it before nodding. "Got it, I'll see if I can find a ride to the location. I'll get right on this Captain." With that done he hung up the receiver and leaned forward on the couch his brow furrowed in thought.

_American doctrine tends to put a great deal of weight on avoiding civilian casualties, especially when such casualties would have diplomatic repercussions. Maybe I can keep them from acting on the opportunity if one of Kaname's friends is with her. But, I've got to hurry… I need to get to the warehouse and then to an airport, preferably Chofu. Haneda would be insane to land in with planes on her tail._ He took a deep breath. "Shit!"

He closed his eyes and took another deep breath striving for calm before picking up the phone again and dialing Kyoko's number.

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 07:17 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Tokiwa Residence**

Kyoko Tokiwa yawned as she padded over to the dresser in her bedroom. A collage of pictures was pinned to a board over the dresser surrounding a mirror with a calendar tacked in the corner. The happy faces of her friends from Jindai made a slight smile slip across her face as she checked her pigtails in the reflection.

Her phone rang. A default tone that represented an unknown number rang in her ears. Frowning slightly she picked it up and flicked it open. "Tokiwa here."

"Tokiwa, its Sagara…" There was a pause of hesitation. "I… I have a favor to ask you Kyoko."

"A… a favor?" Kyoko blinked in surprise as she leaned on the dresser and glanced at the pictures. "Sure, I'd always be willing to help you and Kana-chan."

"I need a ride, it's something of an emergency…" Sousuke said, his voice quivering somewhat. Kyoko blinked at the strange tone that was coming from him, it being so foreign to him.

_What's happening?_

"Is something wrong with Kana-chan?" Tokiwa asked as a sudden surge of fear ran through her veins like ice.

"No, nothing like that…" Sousuke answered immediately. "I… You remember I said I had friends in Alaska, well they'll be arriving in… an hour and a half or so." His voice hitched. "I'm supposed to meet them at the airport but I need to pick up some equipment from a Mithril warehouse first."

"Sousuke, what's going on?" Kyoko asked.

He took a deep breath. "Kyoko, I… I don't want to go into details. You… you've already been hurt once because of your involvement with Kaname." His voice hitched. "I'm so sorry…"

"Sousuke…" Kyoko sighed as she sat down on her bed.

"It… it makes it hard, what else I have to ask…" Sousuke's voice broke slightly. "I… I don't want to leave Kaname alone, could you… could you keep her company while I do this?"

"Of course I'd keep her company Sousuke…" Kyoko answered automatically. "She's my friend too."

"Thank you…" Sousuke said quietly.

"I'll call Ono-D. He's got a car now." Kyoko said quietly. "How is Kaname?"

"Still sleeping, I didn't want to disturb her."

_He's still sweet._ Kyoko thought with a slight smile. "Okay, I'll call Ono-D and see about that ride for you Sousuke."

She let out a sigh as she ended the call and started to skim through her contacts.

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 07:20 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

******Room 404**, Mansion K Apartments****

Sousuke sat alone in the now silent apartment and pulled a fresh set of clothes from his rucksack. As he finished changing the phone rang once again and he grabbed the receiver. "Sagara."

"Sousuke, Ono-D will be right over. He says it's no problem if you give him some money for gas." Kyoko laughed quietly.

Sousuke nodded. "Thank you, that's not a problem." He choked on his words after a moment. "I… I never apologized for what happened last year. I hope there wasn't any lasting damage."

"It wasn't your fault." Tokiwa's normally happy tone dropped to one that was a bit more subdued. She sighed. "You remember when we spied on Kaname at the park?"

He nodded. "Yes."

"That was fun, even if you were running around in a Bonta-kun." She laughed lightly. "I know the last year hasn't been easy on either of you. I don't know if I'll ever get the full story…"

Sousuke swallowed down a lump in his throat. Before he could stop himself the words began to stream out. "Kyoko, so much happened… I don't know how much you want to know. I've faced so much over the years, but the last year… the last year was the worst."

"I don't doubt it Sousuke." Kyoko said quickly. "If you or Kana-chan want to talk, know I'm willing to listen."

"Yes, I'll be sure to tell her. I'm so sorry." He closed his eyes and clenched his fists. "I should have gotten her to leave before… before they came. We knew it was only a matter of time but I wanted to protect her, keep her out of my world." The words streamed out and Sousuke let himself feel pain for what had happened. "And it almost cost your life and… her…"

A memory rose up to the front of his mind, Kaname standing before him with a gun grasped in her hands, its barrel pointed straight toward him. His heart seized in his chest and he let out a gasp for air. Looking at the phone he realized his hands were shaking.

Kyoko was silent for a long time as Sousuke tried desperately to stem the tide of his grief, but like a tsunami it kept coming. "Her soul… I… I wish I could take it all back, make it right."

"Sousuke, you had no idea. You got her back, and if anything Shinji said after we left last night is true you might have saved the whole world." Kyoko's voice was now devoid of humor, a stiff honesty lay behind her words.

"I… I can't talk about it anymore. But thank you Kyoko, you're stronger than anyone suspects." Sousuke said.

Kyoko's voice lightened somewhat. "Not as strong as you or Kana-chan. Now, go give her a kiss before Ono-D gets there."

"I will. Thank you." Sousuke slowly hung up the phone and nodded. He stood up and walked back to the bedroom.

Kaname lay curled up in bed still hugging the Bonta-kun. Her dark blue-black hair shimmered slightly as he knelt over her. Smiling to himself he brushed away her bangs with a calloused hand and leaned down over her. Then he stopped. Chidori was whispering in her sleep. His sharp ears caught technical terms and descriptions from Arm Slaves, ultra-modern helicopters, and even the Lambda Driver. _So that's why they call it whispers._ Slowly he bent down and kissed her forehead and whispered. "I'll be back in a couple hours."

Flustered and nervous at having to leave Kaname alone even if just for a few minutes he picked up the Glock 17 from the nightstand and slipped it into his waistband. _I hate this, I don't want to leave her…_ He swallowed thickly as he walked toward the door and pulled on his shoes.

After a few long minutes there was a knock at the door, peeking through the peep hole he spotted Ono-D then quickly opened it.

"Sagara, Kyoko said you needed a ride." His friend said with a slight smile. "Come on…"

Checking his Glock as he stepped out the door Sousuke and quietly closed the door behind him, forgetting the brand new phone he'd set beside the couch.

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 06:24 hrs<strong>

**Merida Island, South Pacific**

**Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 4 Field Operations Base**

Commander Sailor stood in the command center of the base fuming, rattling three ball bearings in his hand as he scowled at the Marine Captain who reported the escape.

_Mithril… those slimy bastards blew up their own ship rather than let us have it. That damn Testarossa, who would have thought someone as disarming in appearance and tone would be that damn petty!_ He swore again. "God damn it! Contact the USS Beleau Wood and ask them to scramble some harriers to catch these bastards!"

_As if they'd find them… an Osprey with ECS!_

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 07:30 hrs<strong>

**Ministry of Foreign Affairs Building, Tokyo, Japan**

**Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Yōhei Kōno**

The Minister of Foreign Affairs walked through the doors of his office, a tired smile on his face as he nodded to his secretary before walking over to his desk. He was a veteran diplomat now after the years he'd served in the post. It was the second time he'd been tapped for the position by a Prime Minister, and experience meant something even in a position like this one.

"Minister, we've received a call from an Admiral Borda, he states it was quite urgent." His secretary said as his superior sat down in the desk and set his briefcase atop it.

"Jerome Borda?" He stated with a frown.

"Yes sir."

_Damn, America is after his skin for being a part of Mithril… though I doubt merely talking with the man will spark a diplomatic incident, I must be careful._ The politician sighed as he glanced at the phone. "Put him through… after the assistance Mithril gave us, it's the least we can do."

"Yes Minister." His secretary bowed slightly. "Should I have the morning briefing delayed?"

"Yes." He said quickly. "If there is something important amongst it I believe the Admiral would know of it."

His secretary bowed again and stepped out, after a moment the phone lit up and Minister Yōhei Kōno picked it up. "Admiral Borda?" He asked in English.

"Minister Kōno, I'm glad I was able to reach you." The admiral quickly replied. "You are aware of the current situation Mithril and its employees have found themselves."

"Yes, the American assault on your base in Alaska was quite the news. How badly is your organization hurt?" He asked.

"Minister, I'm afraid it no longer exists. Alaska was the lone base we had left…" Admiral Borda took a deep breath. "I trust that you are aware of the source of our military technology?"

"Yes, I take it the line is secured on your end?" The Prime Minister asked quickly, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end.

"As secure as I can make it… one of our whispered managed to escape captivity in Alaska and stole a plane. She's looking for refuge from the Americans and Soviets."

"I see…" The Minister said quietly. "I am uncertain what assistance I can offer, our amicable relations to the United States are vital for our economic and national interests."

"I understand that Minister, but the whispered took those actions without my consultation. She's already en-route and will be entering your air space in a matter of minutes." The Admiral sighed. "I understand this puts you in a difficult position, but the young woman's life is in grave danger. Already we have word that American aircraft have launched from Misawa and she is currently being pursued by Soviet MiGs over the Kuril Islands. She won't be willing to surrender to either of them and if they shoot her down inside your airspace…"

Kōno's eyes widened slightly. "That would be a violation of our sovereignty, not to mention international law!"

"So, Minister Kōno… what are you going to do about it?" Admiral Borda asked pointedly.

Kōno scowled, he was indeed put in a difficult position. America's actions had been unpredictable, and relations with Russia were always tense but for their strategic partner to flagrantly disregard their sovereignty… _Do they really think we are their lap dogs, that'd we'd let this stand if we knew of it? Plus Mithril has been as honorable an ally as we have ever had the A-21 Incident let alone the attack on Tokyo by Amalgam proved that. That the mercenary organization had taken upon the responsibility of protecting one of their citizens in secret, a whispered girl and tried to preserve the normalcy of her life spoke volumes. America had helped the group in their struggle against Amalgam and then turned upon them sensing an opportunity to plunder its secrets. Their motives were transparent. Like the Soviets and Americans had done when Germany fell in the Second World War, they had scrambled to grab all the secrets that had been left behind by the defeated power. Now they were doing the same with Mithril and Amalgam._

"Thank you for this information Admiral… I will be contacting the Director General of the Defense Agency and the Prime Minister. We cannot allow this blatant disregarding of our sovereignty to stand. What can you tell me of her aircraft?"

"It's a Gulfstream G. IV modified for Mithril service, so it has ECS, but already the Soviets found a way to ignore that advantage. Right now she's hoping to land in Tokyo, we have some assets that will meet her when she lands… if you have no objection." Admiral Borda stated.

"No objection, we'll discuss the status of your comrades in arms at a later date Admiral, but for now I have to get to work, the provocative nature of our _allies_ actions take priority." The Foreign Minister stated. "Thank you again for your information."


	15. Chapter 13: Aftershocks

_Author's Note: Those of you that caught the original Sword and Shield have a pretty good idea what to expect in the next few chapters though I'm sure the new bits greatly improve the story. The next four chapters (Aftershocks, Arrivals, Full House, and Set to Simmer) basically are most of the original version of the story reworked and revised to fit into the much larger text that the rewrite has produced. The heroes will finally get a breather in a bit till… Things Get Worse._

* * *

><p><strong>Sword and Shield<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 13:<strong> Aftershocks

* * *

><p><strong>PTSD <strong>1. _n._ Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder: Any condition that develops following some stressful situation or event; such as sleep disturbance, recurrent dreams, withdrawal or lack of concentration.

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 07:30 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Mansion K Apartments, Parking Lot**

Sousuke paused as he saw the car sitting in front of the apartments. Ono-D stood beside it, his arms crossed over his chest. It was a Mitsubishi Lancer, probably about five years old. _If only I could have found a car like that for that getaway in Italy._ Sousuke shook his head finally feeling a bit better as he walked toward the car's passenger seat. _At least in this car getting around fast won't be a problem. I guess Ono-D got it while I was gone or something._

"So what do you think?" Ono-D asked gesturing to the car.

Sousuke shrugged. "A good vehicle, if a bit flashy."

"That's half the point." Ono-D said looking smug. "So where too?"

"429 Kaigan Dori." Sousuke sighed. "Then I'll probably need to head to one of the civilian airports nearby. Haneda is out, too big. Maybe Chofu Airport, a Gulfstream G. IV doesn't need a lot of runway space."

"That's down by the docks… is this more of your super-secret military stuff?" Ono-D asked as he dropped into the driver's seat and buckled up.

Sousuke nodded after he strapped himself in. "You could say that. Our first stop is an old Mithril storehouse, apparently much of the gear I owned and kept in my apartment was transferred there."

"Okay, fine. Hopefully we can do this without you blowing something up." Ono-D said as he shifted the car into gear and took off. "Especially, blowing up my car."

"It's not a problem. If it comes to that, I'll replace it." Sousuke said.

Ono-D stopped and looked at his friend. "Sagara, just how much money do you have?"

"I have been unable to check on my accounts much since my return but unless my investments have completely been destroyed I should have more than sufficient funds to replace this vehicle with the current model." Sousuke shrugged. "It's not like I used much of my salary anyway."

"Right from the mercenary job." Ono-D rolled his eyes. "Okay, well it doesn't sound all that dangerous."

"It shouldn't be, or so I hope at least." Sousuke said.

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 07:35 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Tokiwa Residence**

Kyoko sat on her bed and stared down at the phone clasped in her hand. She'd known Sousuke for what, two years now? In that time she'd seen him enraged, scared, and paranoid, but most of the time he had been a stoic and somber figure. A giggle slipped out of her mouth as she remembered how he'd nervously mixed up words when he'd figured out Kaname was on a date with Fuwa.

The conversation she'd just had with him however told a different story. _It must have been terribly painful, he sounded so tormented and hurt._ She felt her jaw clench somewhat as her hand wandered to the scars she carried from the botched rescue from Amalgam's clutches. She'd been in the hospital for weeks. _Sousuke blames himself for that too. He shouldn't but he does._ A long sigh slipped from her lips.

_There's so much I don't know… and what little I do know is bad. Fighting as a guerilla soldier in Afghanistan as a child, traveling from one hot spot to another, working as a mercenary for Mithril, but who is he underneath all that?_ Kyoko slowly shook her head and stood heading for the door. There was one thing she was sure of though from the way he acted… _He loves Kana-chan, and not just a little bit either…_ She stifled a laugh as she thought back to the early days the two of them had been classmates, the trouble he caused and the fury of Kaname's harisen. Then she sighed remembering how the bizarre adventures in high school had occasionally turned into nightmares. _Hijacking, Seajacking, and then…_ Her hands ran down her side where the scars from her encounter with the assassin Karuma and her time as a hostage of Amalgam lay hidden.

_It wasn't his fault. It wasn't Kana-chan's fault. If anyone is at fault its Amalgam._ Kyoko shook her head and closed her eyes.

Sousuke had sounded so torn up inside, and what was it he meant about Kaname's soul… _What did Kaname go through over the last year? He blames himself for that too, whatever happened. If he could blame himself for every trouble in the world he would do so._ She tried to laugh at that thought, but the bitterness of what happened ground on her.

_Maybe I don't want to know what happened to Kana-chan._ She took a deep breath and turned the nob stepping out into the foyer and slipping on her shoes. _But if talking about it will help…_

_I need reinforcements._ She stopped at that thought and giggled to herself as she opened the door and stepped out. _I must be spending too much time around Sousuke and Shinji…_

_Wait… Shinji! He is Sousuke's friend, maybe he could help draw him out later. Plus there's those pictures he has. I bet Kaname would like to see those._ Smiling she pulled out her phone and skimmed through her contacts.

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 07:39 hrs<strong>

**Chiyoda Ward, Central Tokyo, Japan**

**Yasukuni-dōri and Hakusan-dōri Crossing, Jinbōchō Neighborhood**

Shinji Kazama stopped before one of the book stores alongside the street and pursed his lips as he skimmed through the selection of advertisements and sighed. _Maybe the rumors online were wrong… a special issue being rushed out by AS Fan to cover Mithril? Heck, it's only been a few days… I don't think they could print it off and distribute it that…_

He froze as an issue from Jane's Defense Weekly hung from a rack showing a strange looking Arm Slave on the cover. An arm slave he recognized from the fighting around Jindai. Adjusting his glasses he stepped inside the store and walked over to the magazine stand and pulled it from the rack. It was only then that he noticed the gold bordering around the magazine and SPECIAL ISSUE label on it in English. His eyes widened as he glanced at the short list of information displayed under the title.

_Global Security . org discusses Mithril_

_Mithril – What little we know_

_The new TZy-100(i) reportedly shown in a recent military parade in Moscow_

_Rumors of the destruction of the 'Toy Box'_

_Nuclear Detonation in the South Pacific four weeks ago_

Swallowing a lump in his throat he flipped it open and turned to the first page on Mithril.

_As we went to press: The United States announced that it was taking military action against the mercenary organization known as Mithril. Fortunately many of our writers here at Jane's and our associates in the military watchdog group _Global Security . org_ had been hard at work on an investigation of the rumored organization before the announcement and we were able to quickly pull together what information we had managed to gather. It should be noted that much of the information we've obtained has not been independently verified and may be obsolete by the time this magazine has arrived on the shelves._

Shinji swallowed again and closed the magazine. _It wasn't what I was looking for, but it's definitely something._ He glanced at the back cover for the price before heading for the register. As he placed the magazine on the table his phone rang. Blinking he pulled it from a jacket pocket and turned it over to see who was calling.

_Kyoko?_ Shinji blinked in surprised then flipped it open, his heart rate fluttering as nervousness struck him. "Mushi mushi?"

"Shinji, are you busy?" Kyoko asked quickly.

"Not really, I was just getting a magazine. Is something up?" He asked, surprised that Kyoko hadn't fallen back on his last name. _She's been doing that more and more often lately…_

"Well I was going over to Kaname's for a little while, and I thought you might want to show her the photos you found." Kyoko answered.

"Oh, sure… is Sousuke there?" Kazama asked as he paid the cashier.

"No, he's out running an errand for Mithril. He actually called me to ask if I'd keep an eye on her while he was out." Kyoko's voice hitched. "He seemed really nervous about it."

_What could that be about?_ Shinji asked himself as he took the receipt from the cashier and slid it into the magazine. "Okay…"

"So you'll come?" Kyoko asked.

Kazama felt a smile flash across his face. "Sure, it's not like I had anything planned for today. I'll be there in about thirty minutes or so." As he was about to turn he stopped as his eyes caught sight of another magazine, one that Kyoko had occasionally borrowed from him. A shrug slipped across his shoulders as he picked up a copy of _Nippon Camera_ and walked back to the cashier.

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 07:45 hrs<strong>

**Near the Kuril Islands, Russian Territorial Waters**

**865****th**** Interceptor Aviation Regiment (IAP), 11****th**** Air Army**

Sergei Amir swallowed as he glanced down at his fuel gauge again. The MiG-31 was an interceptor and was built for speed, not long legs. At this point it was iffy that he'd be able to get back to base.

"Control, if I don't turn back now I'll be splashing down in the North Pacific, permission to break off pursuit? The Americans are heading this way as well. I've got twenty plus on radar."

There was a sigh on the other end of the line. "Permission granted."

"Thank God." His wingman said with a sigh as the two of them broke off their pursuit. "I hate swimming."

Glancing back at his fuel gauge he felt his throat tighten. "Control, request a vector to the nearest tanker."

"Vector three-three-zero, good luck."

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 07:47 hrs<strong>

**Near the Kuril Islands, Russian Territorial Waters**

**Gulfstream Nineteen**

Sarah let out a sigh of relief as the two contacts on the passive radar display that represented the two MiG-31s turned north. Just as she was beginning to relax, a dozen odd blips appeared on the screen to the south moving in her direction. Her throat tightened as a few more joined the display and she stared at the transponder.

"F-16s out of Misawa Airbase, American fighters." Al stated blandly. "It seems we're not out of the woods yet Sarah."

"Damn it!" She growled as she clasped her headset. "Headquarters the Russians just broke off pursuit but there's two full squadrons heading my way! What should I do?"

After a moment Tessa's voice answered. "Al, stay on course. F-16s don't have infrared sensors like those Russian craft. With luck they'll fly right by you."

"Roger."

Sarah scowled. _I am not that lucky._

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 07:50 hrs<strong>

**Near Hokkaido, Japanese Territorial Waters**

**14****th**** Fighter Squadron "Samurais", 35****th**** Fighter Wing**

Lieutenant Robert J. Sanders worked the fingers of his G-suit's gloves for a moment before pursing his lips in thought. _What the hell are we doing anyway?_ He glanced to his front right, out the canopy of his F-16 toward the flight leader. Samurai Five through Eight were flying in the classic 'finger four' combat formation. They were high, higher than the normal cruising altitude for their craft.

Because a Gulfstream IV's cruising altitude was this one.

"Second flight, come to heading three-zero-zero."

"Acknowledged three-zero-zero." Robert said as he banked his craft still in formation. As he did so he flipped through the weapons systems one more time.

As the computer selected the AIM-9 Sidewinders that hung from his wings a buzz filled his ears. Blinking he stopped the turn. "Lead, possible infrared contact." Frowning he hit the rudder and listened to the buzz catching the growl growing as he passed three-two-zero degrees. As he centered on the direction it began to dip. Then it began to diminish after a moment. Fluttering the pedals again he found it now at three-one-zero degrees. "No visual, target is heading south west."

"Second section, you're free to pursue. Eagle Watch still has no contacts on this girl. Good luck."

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 07:53 hrs<strong>

**Misawa Air Base, ****Aomori Prefecture, Japan**

**3****rd**** Tactical Fighter Squadron, 3****rd**** Air Wing, Northern Air Defense Force**

Lieutenant Colonel Tadashi Yoshida swallowed down a lump in his throat as he directed his Mitsubishi F-2A onto the main runway. Behind him the three other members of headquarters flight followed him through the turn and now all four planes were facing down the runway.

"First Flight to Tower, requesting permission to takeoff and vector to Samurai Squadron." Tadashi coughed at the name and shook his head. _Leave it to the Americans to name their squadron like that, it's almost insulting._

"Permission granted, vector to Samurai squadron is zero-three-zero, distance four hundred, angels thirty."

"Acknowledged, rolling." With that he released the brakes and throttled up his plane sending it rocketing down the runway while the other three followed just behind in close formation. As the airspeed reached three-hundred kilometers per hour he pulled back on the stick and rose over the runway and glanced over his shoulder at the rest of his flight trailing him in perfect position in their blue planes. _We practice with these guys all the time and even share facilities… this feels wrong, so wrong, but orders were orders._

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 07:59 hrs<strong>

**Hyakuri Air Base, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan**

**305****th**** Tactical Fighter Squadron, 7****th**** Air Wing, Central Air Defense Force**

Lieutenant Colonel Satō Sakai swore under his breath as he ran across from the dispersal office with his helmet in hand. The F-15J that sat at the scramble pad bearing his name was hastily being loaded with missiles. 'White ones on the rails' as the Americans said. He swore again under his breath as he clambered up the ladder and dropped into the cockpit followed by the crew chief of the ordnance team.

"What the hell is going Lieutenant Colonel Sat ō?" He asked as he watched the experienced pilot strap into the restraints without so much as a second glance. "We had to dig out live ordnance for this, last time we did that there was fighting in Tokyo!"

"Chief, you don't want to know." Sakai answered as he started pre-flight checks. "You really do not want to know."

_Damn Americans!_ He thought to himself as he flipped through the switches one after another. _This is just insane, completely and totally insane._

"Sir?" The crew chief asked watching the pilot work. "We're done loading, but what is going on?"

"I'll tell you when I get back!" He growled as he activated the radio system. "Tower, request vector to 'Eagle Watch'."

The crew chief scrambled down the ladder and hurried to pull it clear as the engines caught. A dull setting of dread began to creep through him as he watched the canopy descend over the cockpit and the plane began to roll.

In the cockpit Sakai licked his lips nervously. _Intercept the AWACS Eagle Watch and force it to land… What the hell does command want us to do this for?_

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 08:01 hrs<strong>

**Over Mount Chubetsu, Hokkaido, Japan**

**14****th**** Fighter Squadron "Samurais", 35****th**** Fighter Wing**

"Samurai Seven to Eagle Watch, this contact is steady on bearing two-two-zero, angels thirty. I haven't been able to contact them. Orders?" As he spoke he flicked the weapon selection system to AIM-9 Sidewinders to reconfirm the bandit and hit the master arm switch.

"Samurai Seven, this is Eagle Watch. You are weapons free."

"Understood, engaging." He took a deep breath as he listened to the missile's tone. He couldn't be sure of a lock, hell he couldn't be sure of much of anything but orders were orders. If this was that Gulfstream G. IV it was going down.

"Samurai Seven, fox two!" He said as his finger tightened on the trigger.

The AIM-9M rocketed off the rail and headed toward the target in the jerky spasmodic motion that gave it the name sidewinder leaving behind a snaking contrail. Ahead a plume of smoke suddenly billowed out of thin air as a volley of flares appeared in the familiar pattern shape that had given the defenses its name.

"Angel wings! Be advised the target has countermeasures!" The missile veered into one of the flares and exploded. Scowling Robert heard the buzz of the contact begin to fade and he slid the nose left and right trying to reacquire. When that hadn't worked he started to circle. "Shit, contact lost. Eight have you got anything?"

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 08:02 hrs<strong>

**Over Mount Chubetsu, Hokkaido, Japan**

**Gulfstream Nineteen**

Sarah was screaming as the lush green mountain rushed up to greet her, then suddenly slammed back into her seat as the plane leveled out, blowing tree tops in its wake from the crash dive that Al had just performed. She tried to catch her breath. "Al?"

"I have now made an annotation to my audio logs. I now know what the phrase 'scream like a little girl' means. The two F-16s are circling. I am unsure how they detected us but the use of Sidewinders in the attack may be a clue as to that."

"Damn it, you think they're using them as improvised sensors?" She shook her head and took a deep breath. "We lost them for a moment though since they're circling… Bring us back on course to Haneda."

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 08:03 hrs<strong>

**Over Mount Chubetsu, Hokkaido, Japan**

**14****th**** Fighter Squadron "Samurais", 35****th**** Fighter Wing**

Robert scowled as he glared out the canopy down at the lush green mountains below. If it'd been a month earlier there would have been a thick layer of snow on the ground instead and the greater thermal difference might have made reacquiring their target easier. "Samurai Eight to Samurai Seven, I think I got them, same bearing but much lower altitude."

Robert sighed. "Alright, let's match their altitude, beginning descent. Ready for another go?"

"Samurai Seven and Eight be advised, JASDF has sortied from Misawa, we have aircraft on approach to our position as well." The voice of the AWACs controller sounded pained. "Stay with her."

"Understood. Maybe we should have asked for a FLIR camera for this operational load out." He growled as he rolled the F-16 onto its back and began a split S down toward the mountainous terrain below.

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 18:05 hrs<strong>

**Washington, District of Columbia, United States**

**White House Situation Room**

Madeleine Albright sat in the back of the room, her fingers rapping against the desk before her. On the display the feeds from the AWACS were up and the dozens of JSDF contacts on radar told everyone in the room that something was wrong, very wrong.

_I should have advised against this action, the Japanese Government knows we're doing something and their reacting. The question is just how much they know._

Then one of the communications officers for the white house switchboard turned in her seat, eyes wide as she looked toward the president. "Sir, we're getting a call from the Japanese Prime Minister Keizō Obuchi."

Madeleine Albright swallowed as the President walked over and picked up the phone, picking up her own from the desk she switched to the diplomatic line and listened.

"Mister Obuchi?"

"Mister President, what the hell are you thinking?" Madeleine Albright winced at the flash of invective from the man across the ocean. It was unheard of for heads of state to speak to each other in that manner, and doubly so when their opposite was a man from a culture like the Japanese. In her mind she knew that they knew about the Gulfstream and had either guessed or been informed about the intentions of the squadrons of fighters launched from Misawa.

Glancing up she saw Bill Clinton blink furiously, clearly stunned. "I… I'm sorry but what are you referring to?"

"I'm talking about the two squadrons of F-16s you've got hunting down that Mithril jet and their orders to shoot it down if it doesn't divert to your airfield! So you can take her into your custody. That is a flagrant violation of both international law and our national sovereignty! Do you think we'd just stand by and let you do as you pleased over our home?"

_The man is going to have a stroke._ Madeleine Albright thought as she remembered the aging senior that the Japanese Parliament had installed. _That or a heart attack, he's damn pissed!_

Sweat was running down the brow of the American president as he glanced up at the radar display, his gaze focusing on two of the F-16s. "Mister Prime Minister I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Don't give me that! The Defense Agency has scrambled our aircraft to ensure you don't do anything illegal, they will be escorted back to base and their pilots debriefed by our personnel to ensure that we know the truth of this incident. If they attempt to continue their mission we will use force to ensure they fail. Then we will see about renegotiating the American occupation of our territories."

The line went dead and the President stared at the phone. "Hell. Madeleine?"

"He's damn pissed." She said.

"I understood that. How should we respond?"

The Secretary of State took a deep breath. "That depends on just how much you think bringing in or bringing down this one plane is worth."

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 08:07 hrs<strong>

**Near Mount Tomuraushi, Hokkaido, Japan**

**14****th**** Fighter Squadron "Samurais", 35****th**** Fighter Wing**

Robert swore in his cockpit, quite certain that his plane had ingested bits of pine needles as it rocketed just over the tree tops. In his ears he could hear the growl of the Sidewinder missiles. "Jesus we're close but the damn ECS means I have no idea how close!"

A ridgeline rose ahead and he pulled up and rolled the F-16 onto its back, a classic maneuver to ensure that he had a good view of the terrain once he cleared the ridge. Behind him Samurai Eight's F-16 matched the maneuver and the two of them roared over the ridge.

"Eight, I have tone!" His wingman called out as they pulled back to tree top level and righted the aircraft.

"Then shoot!" Robert called out.

"Fox two!" His wingman yelled and a missile rocketed off the rails of his fighter. Ahead a burst of flares lit up the morning sky distracting the missile and sending it hurtling down into trees where it exploded. "Fuck! Missile went stupid! I've still got tone at least."

Robert nodded. "That's the only one you've got left right?"

"Roger."

"Okay, go for it."

"Fox two!"

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 08:08 hrs<strong>

**Near Mount Tomuraushi, Hokkaido, Japan**

**Gulfstream Nineteen**

Sarah was really beginning to hate the sound of a missile launch warning. She wasn't sure how long it took a sidewinder to reach them but she was sure it was fast, and her heart sunk as Al's voice crackled to life.

"We are out of countermeasures." It stated plainly.

_Oh my God… I'm going to die._ She thought as the plane throttled up and dove toward a ridge line. Glancing at the displays she saw the missile closing fast from the six o'clock position. Suddenly the plane rolled onto its back and dove over the ridge as low as it could get. The missile followed by the proximity fuse in its warhead detected the trees it was passing by mere meters and the weapon activated, exploding in the middle of the air and sending fragments ripping through the trees.

She felt tears run down her cheeks as the plane righted itself. "Al?"

"I am afraid to mention that if these planes have a standard compliment, they have one more missile to use."

"Oh God…"

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 08:09 hrs<strong>

**Near Mount Tomuraushi, Hokkaido, Japan**

**14****th**** Fighter Squadron "Samurais", 35****th**** Fighter Wing**

"Son of a bitch, whoever is flying that thing must be mad. I thought for sure I hit it." Eight's voice filled the radio as Robert swallowed down a lump in his throat.

"They have to be out of countermeasures, no flares. Damn it, this terrain though… it's terrible for this. We've just got one missile left." He took his finger off the trigger and sighed. "Let's save it for when we've got a clear shot, their approach to land would be perfect."

"Now that's thinking." Eight agreed.

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 08:10 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 404, Mansion K Apartments**

Kaname blinked her eyes awake and let out a long sigh. Slowly she rolled in bed and froze as she noticed the plush toy Bonta-kun in her arms. _Where is Sousuke?_ Instantly she straightened bolt upright her lethargy forgotten and fear ran through her. "Sousuke?" She slipped out of bed and headed for the door, panic beginning to grip her. _Not again, damn it Sousuke! Where are you?_ Pulling the door open she yelled. "Sousuke!"

Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked around the living area and saw his rucksack beside her couch. Her knees felt weak and she could hardly stand. _No! No, no, no! He wouldn't just leave without that rucksack._ She slumped to the floor and wept, as the rational part of her mind yelled and screamed to snap her out of it. _Kaname, you're not this weak! He went out to get groceries or something, he'll be back._

_But we just got groceries yesterday…_

Rational thought could not overcome the instinctive terror that came from his disappearance. She remembered the first time he'd gone like that without warning and the cost that came as a result. How she'd met Wraith mere seconds before an assassin came for her life. How Leonard Testarossa had walked into her life and stolen her first kiss. Then she remembered what he had done after she left with him to save her friends a year ago, and screamed.

There were levels of violation, stealing her first kiss now sat quite low on her chart. He hadn't raped her or tortured her. In retrospect she almost wished he had, it wasn't as bad as what he had done. _No, what he had done had deserved divine punishment._

Stealing her first kiss had been bad, but when it came to Leonard Testarossa it was the tip of the iceberg. He'd used that ordeal as a wedge, driving it between her and Sousuke when he sat in her living room and calmly said he'd be taking her away. Sousuke had attacked him then, but that damn cloak of his had stopped the attacks cold.

Then he led the attack on Tokyo, given his approval to the plan of using the Jindai Students as hostages, and then… he'd beaten Sousuke in Arm Slave combat with his Belial. _I surrendered to him then, to save everyone… Sousuke was about to be killed and all my friends._ Tears welled up in her eyes. _It was the right thing to do, the only thing I could do…_

He used her, manipulated her… and in some twisted fashion thought he loved her. She'd been given work assisting with Amalgam black technology, helicopter designs and so forth… but it wasn't stuff of any real importance to them, they were trying to draw him out and get her to join them willingly.

Then Sousuke tried to save me in Mexico… _Damn you Leonard, I wish you had died that night!_ She winced at the memory of the pistol and the blood on her hands.

Even that wasn't the worse… there were two incidents that were far worse in her mind. She remembered Leonard's reaction when she first cornered him on sending Kurama out to kill Sousuke, how he had resonated with her showing him the event that had made him the way he was. _Was that a plea for help? Damn him, why? Why did he want me to know that?_ But even that wasn't the worse he'd done.

Yamsk Eleven… the birthplace of the whispered, the psytechnic device that had created them, and the tomb where the one call Sophia lay hidden. _That bitch, she'd been so secure that she was right, that she could make the world how she wanted it… _Leonard had given her over to Sophia, who had proceeded to violate her mind and very soul by… by possessing her! _I thought I had killed Sousuke and Tessa when they came to save me… she was in control and the illusion she constructed… _A cold chill ran over her shoulders at the memory and she cried again. "Oh Sousuke, where are you? I need you right now."

Swallowing down a lump that had risen in her throat she remembered her phone and ran back to the bedroom, grabbed it off the nightstand and flipped it open. Scowling she selected Sousuke's number and…

A keening sound echoed from the living room. Her eyes widening she walked out and stared at the brand new cell phone sitting on the end table beside the couch as it rang. "Sousuke?" She whimpered and then closed her eyes. _Was he taken? Abducted? _The fear that welled up inside her compelled her into action. She shut the phone and grabbed the Glock 26 off the table and the baseball bat that was in the closet. "You're not taking me that easy…" She growled.

_You're jumping to conclusions Kaname! Surely Sousuke would have put up a struggle if they abducted him… and if they got him, why just leave when she was here unprotected? It doesn't make sense!_

Her heart was hammering in her chest as she tightened her grip on the baseball bat, the logical arguments of her mind failing to override the panic once again. Tears began to stream down her cheeks. _Where is he? Why would he leave me alone? Damn it!_ She blinked at the tears and crouched beside the closet, her finger nervously switching the safety on the Glock pistol off and back on. _Sousuke… where are you?_

* * *

><p><strong>27 April 2000, 08:13 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 509, ****Lions Mansion Apartments**

The CIA agent pulled off his headphones and set them on the table before him, a feeling of disgust rising up in his stomach. He closed his eyes, he'd heard a lot of thing in his time, but this was the first time he felt like he was in the wrong. It was one thing to listen in on corporate execs finding out about their affairs, sneaking technology out of a nation to keep the balance of power.

What he had just heard made his heart bleed, it wasn't often that a spy felt empathy for a target, let alone a source of information, but he'd just listened to a young woman have what sounded like a panic attack.

_Fuck, I'm starting to really hate this job._

* * *

><p><strong>27 April 2000, 08:15 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Tamagawa Station (approximately 2 km to Mansion K Apartments)**

Shinji stepped out of the train and adjusted the carrying strap for his laptop case and portfolio. As he did he glanced at the magazine in his hands and swallowed, thoughts focusing on what was written on the page.

_Mithril – What little we know_

_With the sudden announcement by America and the deployment of their forces to attack the organization much of the world is asking one simple question. What is Mithril?_

_Mithril is a mercenary organization believed to be related in some way with the Argyos Security Firm of Australia that's headquarters was destroyed in a vicious attack in 1998. Imagery from the site showed a unique crest featuring a winged sword and shield over a globe with the name MITHRIL in white lettering at the bottom of the crest._

_Argyos Security is the single largest security company on the globe and when it last released a complete set of records on its payroll and operations showed a staff of nearly a quarter million personnel scattered across dozens of locations worldwide. If such personnel were military in nature the army they could field would be roughly equivalent to the effective strength of many nations which have built their armies around the doctrine of self-defense such as Japan._

_Accounting billing statements suggest that Argyos had close contacts with a large number of companies worldwide. Records from 1998 included significant spending in the form of purchases being made to Boeing, British Aerospace Dynamics, General Dynamics, Geotron Electronics, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Technologies, and Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering. Just how significant? Records indicate purchase orders with a value of over thirty billion dollars. A complete record of these orders as well as the previous five years of operations was obtained while Jane's investigated the attack on their Sydney Headquarters. Some of the individual line items are noted as being clearly obvious code names while others…_

Shinji nearly dropped his laptop case as he collided with one of the passengers exiting the station and stopped short as he recognized the surprised squeak of the voice. Looking up he blinked in surprise as Kyoko picked up her purse from where she'd dropped it.

"Sorry…"

"It's okay Shinji. I can tell you're really into reading what you've got." Kyoko giggled lightly as she slung her purse over her shoulder. "What is it anyway?"

"I saw this newest issue of Jane's Defense Weekly and saw that it had some articles on Mithril in it." He said quickly. "Though so far it's just budget stuff about what they think the front company was."

"Why don't you just ask Sousuke if you really want to know?" Kyoko asked quickly.

Shinji pushed his glasses up his nose and shook his head. "I don't think he could tell me much, he's probably got a non-disclosure agreement on that." He sighed. "You said he was running an errand for Mithril?"

"Yeah, he said he had to get some equipment from a storehouse and meet his friends from Alaska at the airport." Kyoko said.

"His friends from Alaska?" Shinji gapped. "Did you see the news this morning?"

"Uh… no." Kyoko shrugged. "Was there something in it about his friends?"

"Someone broke out of American custody and got ahold of some experimental arm slave, stole a plane, and then blew up the base with AS's self-destruct mechanism. There was a CNN crew there and got most of the fight on camera, it was just unbelievable." Shinji glanced at her. "You don't think that was his friend?"

Kyoko laughed. "It's Sousuke, if they're his friends I wouldn't doubt it!"

* * *

><p><strong>27 April 2000, 08:20 hrs<strong>

**Central Tokyo, Japan**

**429 Kaigan Dori, Mithril Warehouse**

Ono-D glanced around the inside of the warehouse and stopped cold as he found himself facing a Bonta-kun with a combat vest and helmet. "Sousuke?"

His friend didn't even blink, walking past the suit to a set of boxes. Pulling one open he nodded. "Here we go satellite radio." He picked it up and headed back toward the car as Ono-D glanced around the crates of equipment and gear. When he turned back toward his car Ono-D found that Sousuke had opened the box, magnetized a small satellite dish to the top of his car, and plugged the radio into the cigarette lighter. With that done he flicked it on and lifted a headset to his ear. "Uruzu Seven to Gulfstream Nineteen, do you read?"

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 08:23 hrs<strong>

**Southern Hokkaido, Japan**

**Gulfstream Nineteen**

Sarah smiled as the radio crackled to life with a familiar voice. "Sagara? Oh thank God. I'm about forty-five minutes out from Tokyo now. There is a pair of F-16s chasing me. I don't know how but they get on my trail every couple minutes."

"I suggest you make for Chofu Airport, it's smaller and has better general aviation facilities then Haneda. You said there are F-16s chasing you."

"Affirmative." Al stated blandly. "I speculate they're using the heat signatures of our engines to track us using their AIM-9 Sidewinders as improvised sensors. I'm afraid we got a bit too close to them and they picked it up by accident."

"Alright, stay alive partner." Sousuke's voice echoed in the cockpit.

"So apparently I am a living being." Al stated in English.

There was a sharp laugh across the radio. "Uruz Seven out."

* * *

><p><strong>27 April 2000, 08:25 hrs<strong>

**Central Tokyo, Japan**

**429 Kaigan Dori, Mithril Warehouse**

Ono-D followed the conversation as best he could with his high school English and shrugged as Sagara set the headset down on the radio and scowled. "So we head to the airport then?"

"Not yet, she's being chased by American fighters." He headed back to the warehouse and walked to a shelf loaded with plastic military cases. Finally he pulled one from the shelf and nodded to himself and headed back to the car.

Ono-D stared as Sousuke loaded the plastic container marked with English letterings into the back of his car. "Uh Sousuke? What is an FIM-92 Stinger?"

"A missile." Sousuke said as he closed the hatch and glanced at his friend. "An anti-aircraft missile."

"Shit Sagara, if we get pulled over…"

"I have a permit." Sousuke stated simply. "I just hope I don't have to use it."

Ono-D glanced around nervously. _I wonder which he means, the permit or the missile._

"Also, your keys?" Sousuke asked as he shut the door and turned to Ono-D who stood there staring blankly at his friend. "You don't have the experience with evasive driving I do."

"Right, I'll get in the passenger's side then." He muttered as he handed over his keys. After he buckled up Sousuke sat down and pulled his headset on again, flipping on the radio with one hand.

"You ready Ono-D?"

_Wait, he said evasive drivi—_ Ono-D grabbed hold of the arm rest as the wheels spun and Sousuke hurled the car back toward Chofu. _Son of a bitch!_

"I'll get you some new tires after this."

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 08:29 hrs<strong>

**East of Hokkaido, Japanese Territorial Waters**

**305****th**** Tactical Fighter Squadron, 7****th**** Air Wing, Central Air Defense Force**

Lieutenant Colonel Satō Sakai slowly flexed his gloves as his F-15J rose high above the clouds. He glanced down at the passive radar array and nodded. "There's the AWACS." Taking a deep breath he flipped a number of switches on the radio controls and switched frequencies.

"Attention Eagle Watch, this is Lieutenant Colonel Satō Sakai of the Japanese Self Defense Forces. Your actions have been found to be a violation of international law and the sovereignty of our nation. You are hereby ordered to cease all radar operations and mission control. We will then escort you back to base. Do you understand?"

There was a long pause as the pilot glanced down at his weapon system display. Then the curt voice of the American pilot answered. "Understood, we are ceasing military operations and changing heading to base."

Sakai let out a sigh of relief. _At least they're not completely crazy._

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 08:37 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Hallway Outside of Room 404, Mansion K Apartments**

Kyoko sighed as she stepped out of the elevator on the fourth floor of the building followed by Shinji, who was looking through the magazine. He'd managed to chat an read at the same time on the walk over.

"So, is there anything really interesting in there or is it just budget stuff." Kyoko said as she rolled her eyes.

Shinji stopped and blinked. "Well, not really… I finally got a name to go with the model of Arm Slave that those Amalgam guys were using, apparently the Russians just showed it off at one of their military parades. It's a Testarossa – Zostoya model 100(m)."

"Testarossa? Like Teletha Testarossa?" Kyoko asked as the name rang a bell in her head.

Shinji's eyes widened. "Tessa? But… she's with Mithril! That doesn't make any sense."

Kyoko nodded slowly. _To think Tessa would be involved with them? It was just ludicrous, completely and totally mad. Then again she did pretend to be a terrorist on the Pacific Christmas._ "I don't know Shinji, maybe you can ask Sousuke or Kaname about it."

She stopped before the door to Kaname's apartment and sighed. "I wonder if she's still asleep." The rapped her knuckles on the door.

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 08:38 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 404, Mansion K Apartments**

Kaname heard muted conversation from the hallway outside and tightened her grip on the pistol and baseball bat. Taking a deep breath she forced away the panic rising in her gut. _It's probably just the neighbors, or maybe Sousuke is coming home talking to someone._

She jumped at the rap on the door and swallowed down a lump in her throat. Kaname scrambled to her feet and slunk to the door much like how Sousuke would have approached it. Slowly she leaned to the peep hole and glanced through.

The bat dropped to the floor with a thump and she let out a sigh in relief. Kyoko and Shinji were talking just outside the door and a relieved smile slipped across her face as she worked the locks then pulled the door open.

"I don't know… it's probably just some guy with the same last name. Testarossa does sound Russian doesn't it?" Kazama said just as the door opened.

Fear shot through her body and she couldn't stem the rage of anger that lanced through her body. She raised her hand still holding the Glock 26 and pointed it at Kazama as the door swung open. "Kazama! Don't say that name!"

Kyoko recoiled, clutching her purse to her chest as Shinji jumped and began to shudder as he stared down the barrel of one of Sousuke's side-arms. After a moment the boy's gaze shifted to Kaname's face and he shaking intensified at her expression.

"Kaname?" Kyoko said, her voice almost cracking.

"I don't want to hear about him. Do you understand Kazama?"

"Yes!" Shinji said quivering with fear.

Slowly she lowered the pistol and let out a breath then slumped against the door, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Kyoko… I…"

"Kaname, are you okay?" Kyoko asked as Kaname pursed her lips and glanced both directions down the hallway.

"Fine, fine, it's nothing." Kaname said before closing her eyes and letting out a long breath.

"Where's Sagara?" Shinji asked leaning to peer over Kaname's shoulder.

There was a clatter of metal against wood as Kaname dropped the glock and began to tear up. "I don't know! When I got up this morning he was gone." She sobbed and leaned against the doorway.

"Kaname, would you let us in? I could make you tea or something, maybe it'll make you feel a little better." Kyoko said as Shinji glanced at her.

"Kyoko? Haven't you heard from Sagara today?" Shinji asked.

Kaname didn't hear as she glumly nodded and took a step back from the door to allow them entrance and shuddered. "Make yourself at home." As the two stepped into the living area she shut the door and barred it. _What's this pain in my chest? Hold it together Kaname._ She closed her eyes and drew a shaky breath before slumping against the door with the baseball bat in her hands. It felt hard to breath.

Kyoko walked into the room and knelt beside Kaname. "Kana-chan?" She stared at her still in the pajamas and felt her heart wilt a bit. No one had noticed the day before in part because she'd worn her uniform, but now in these clothes Kyoko could see that she was thinner, almost emaciated. Her eyes had a tired expression and stared out into the distance. She took a deep breath. "Sousuke is fine Kana-chan. He's with Ono-D, something about he needed an emergency ride for something."

Kaname squeezed her eyes shut. _Okay, okay. That's where he is. He's safe and will be back soon._ It still felt as though a heavy weight was pressing down on her chest.

Kyoko tried to smile but couldn't. "Kaname, Sousuke already unloaded on me today. If you need to talk."

She shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut harder and took a deep breath to stave off hyperventilating. "No… I just wish he was here."

Kyoko pulled out her phone and thumbed the speaker function as she glanced at Shinji. "Could you order something to eat, can't cheer her up without food you know."

Shinji smiled slightly and nodded pulling out his own cell-phone as he walked to the couch.

"Will talking with him make you feel better?" Kyoko asked.

"Yes, maybe, I hope so…" Tears were welling up in her eyes again and she glanced up at her friend. "Thank you… Ky"

Kyoko nodded as she selected Ono-D's number. Then she set it on the table beside the couch where Shinji sat. As it rang she walked over to Kaname and pulled her upright and guided her to the couch. She didn't resist but walked with a slump and sat down.

"Hello?" Ono-D's voice echoed in the small room.

"Can you put Sousuke on?" Kyoko asked loudly trying to be sure she was heard over the engine roar.

"He's driving!" Ono-D said with a yell.

"Speaker phone then." Kyoko said as if it was the most obvious thing imaginable.

"Oh, right." After a moment Shinji, Kyoko, and Kaname winced as the roar of an engine echoed in the apartment.

"Kyoko?" A familiar voice asked. Sitting beside Kaname, Kyoko smiled as she felt her friend straighten.

"Sousuke! Where the hell are you?" Kaname nearly screamed at the phone.

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 08:43 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Chuo Expressway**

Despite the thrum of the engine, the need to focus on his driving, the presence of the headset over his ears connected to the radio, and the weakness of a cell-phone's speaker even when cranked to max. He winced at her voice noting both anger and an edge of panic hidden behind it. _I should have woken her up, maybe brought her with… damn it_. He swerved around a slow Nissan and took a deep breath. "I'm on the Chuo Expressway heading for Chofu Airport."

"What are you doing there?" Kaname's voice answered back.

_Oh screw it, I'm not in Mithril at the moment and those contract papers haven't arrived yet._ He scowled. "I'm picking up a whispered. She's on the run from the Americans and is going to arrive in maybe fifteen minutes."

"Who? Tessa?"

"Negative. Tessa is in Australia right now. It's Sarah, from what Tessa told me what she did might be on the news…" Sousuke scowled as he wove between a pair of slower vehicles. "What's with you calling when I'm driving?"

There was a thump and in his mind's eye Sousuke could see Kaname's head face down on the table. "Is anyone shooting at you?"

"Not this time." Sousuke said now unable to hold back the smile on his face. "I'm sorry I didn't wake you before you left, but I didn't want to wake you, especially when I heard you whispering."

A soft sigh answered him on the phone. "Couldn't you have left a note or remembered to take your cell phone?"

"I… I was a bit flustered when I left. You know I don't want to leave you alone with the current situation." Sousuke answered. "Who all is there?"

"Uh, just Kyoko and Shinji, I think he's ordering breakfast or something." Kaname's voice betrayed nervousness. "I… I was so scared when you weren't there. I thought you'd been abducted or… recalled."

A scowl flashed across his face. "If anyone tries to recall me they'll get a resignation letter Kaname. I will not leave you again, not after all that happened. Hell, me fighting to rescue was unauthorized by Mithril, they… they wanted to write you off."

"WHAT!" Kaname yelled. "Oh, when I see Tessa…"

"I believe Tessa said something similar to high command, our attack on Merida Island wasn't exactly authorized either." Sousuke sighed. "It'd be better to yell at General Amitt or Admiral Borda if you ever get a chance to meet them."

"Sousuke… I picked up a copy Jane's Defense Weekly and there was an image of one of the Arm Slaves from the attack on the school. They labeled it a Testarossa Zost–"

Shinji's voice was cut off by Kaname. "I told you! Don't talk about him!"

Sousuke winced as he heard the vitriol pouring from her voice. "Kaname, please…"

"That bastard was behind it all, if he wasn't dead already I'd kill him!" Kaname yelled.

"Him?" Kyoko asked.

"Leonard Testarossa, Tessa's evil twin." Sousuke said quietly. "The man who led the attack on Jindai High."

Kyoko and Shinji gasped and he could hear the sound of a magazine hitting the floor. At a guess he figured it had been dropped by Shinji. Ono-D stared at him, his eyes wide. "He was the one that beat you?"

"Yes." Sousuke said. "His custom arm slave was superior to my unit… it seems that he encountered Kaname before that… Though I get the feeling he lied a bit about what occurred."

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 08:48 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 404, Mansion K Apartments**

Kaname froze on her couch. _Sousuke knows about that? He…_ She wiped her lips with the back of her hand and squeezed her eyes shut. _I… I never told him about it, how did he… Does he think I'm soiled or what by that bastard?_

"What did Leonard tell you?" She whimpered quietly.

* * *

><p>Kyoko stared at her, her eyes wide behind the glasses. Sousuke had told them that all the incidents the class had suffered, the hijacking, the seajacking, had been abduction attempts to capture Kaname. They had known there was more to those stories then what they knew and that the strong willed girl had likely played her own part, but this was different somehow.<p>

Kyoko leaned toward the phone realizing from the silence that either Sousuke hadn't heard her or wasn't sure what to say. "Sousuke, what happened?"

"Do you remember when I left school for a long while and Chidori disappeared after a while and we both showed up back on the same day?"

Kyoko frowned and thought back. She froze in her tracks as she remembered. _Kaname stiffened then spun. She looked behind her for a long moment then pulled her phone from her pocket. Her hands trembled as she paged through her contacts and called one. I heard the phone call fail to go through 'the phone number you have dialed is…' Kaname's phone clapped shut and she turned to me, her eyes wide and terrified. "I have to go." She ran from her and disappeared from sight._ Kyoko took a deep breath. "I remember."

"I was recalled. I wasn't supposed to meet her again. All contact was denied." His voice was hard and cold. Angry Sousuke, Kyoko thought to herself, angry at who though? "There was… an assassination attempt while I was gone. Kaname managed to stun the assassin, but…" His voice hardened even further. "Then he showed up."

Sousuke spoke with a voice loaded with pure vitriol. "Leonard had some miniaturized arm slaves with him just like those that were on the _Pacific Christmas_, they… executed the assassin." Kyoko gasped, she hadn't heard any of this. "He was the one behind the school attack last year and everything that kept us separated since then. There are… things that he did which are inexcusable."

"He's gone right?" Kyoko asked.

"He's dead." Kaname breathed quietly, as if she couldn't quite believe her own words.

Kyoko let out a long sigh of relief. "I see."

"Kaname tracked me down and I managed to renegotiate my employment contract so they couldn't do it again, but I think she was always afraid I'd leave her again like that." Sousuke audibly sighed through the phone. "I should have woken Kaname up, brought her along. I'm sorry Kaname. I just wanted you to get some sleep."

"Sousuke… he, he left out one part." Kaname said quietly as he hands whipped across her lips again.

"I figured he did, I had a gun on him at the time but I thought there was something he wasn't telling me, probably because I'd pull the trigger." Sousuke sighed.

"After he executed that Chinese girl, the assassin… he forcibly kissed me."

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 08:51 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Chuo Expressway**

Sousuke froze behind the wheel, his blood boiling with murderous rage at that point. Before he could stop himself he yelled. "That twisted son of a bitch!" Tears streamed down his cheeks as Ono-D glanced at him in shock.

"Sousuke?" Kaname's voice was barely a whisper.

He choked on his words. "Yes?"

"Do I… do I disgust you?"

"Kana-chan!" Kyoko yelled, her voice rising in disbelief.

"Why… why would I think that? I love you Kaname!" Sousuke answered stunned.

"I'm just being stupid I guess." Kaname muttered quietly. He could hear her sobs despite the rumble of the motor and felt as though a knife had been twisted in his gut. _That damned man, what else did he do to her?_

"Kaname… is there anything else he did to you?" He asked.

Her voice shuddered. "Well… after he took me away…"

"Kana-chan, you… you don't need to tell us if you don't want to." Kyoko said quickly.

"No… he, he should know." Kaname said.

His gut twisted at those words. _What else could she have gone through? Was she tortured? Please don't say she was raped… _He rubbed his eyes to clear away some tears. _What did that sick man do to her?_ He felt tears run down his cheeks at a rate he had not felt since his youth in the KGB training camp. _I'm glad he's dead, I just wish I had killed him instead of Kalinin._

"He… he resonated with me."

Sousuke's knuckles turned white as his grip on the steering wheel hardened. A lump rose in his throat as he blinked. _He… he what?_

"Resonated? What's that?" Kyoko asked.

Kaname sniffed. "A… a whispered can create a telepathic link with another whispered and share thoughts and memories. He showed me… his mother offering him up to a group of kidnappers in exchange for Tessa's life. I… I actually felt sorry for him…"

_I've done terrible things myself, but to do that, to make someone witness the horrors I suffered. That's just wrong, so very wrong._ He closed his eyes for a moment before focusing back on the road. _She's so compassionate, was he trying to use that against her?_ "Kaname… I, I don't blame you, you're a compassionate person. It was natural for you to feel that way."

"I… I hate him." Kaname bit out. "How… how do I tell my friends what happened after that first time you saved. How do I explain 'her'."

"Sophia." Sousuke muttered. That was a reference he instantly knew of, and one that stirred a great deal of emotions in his soul. _Leonard brought her to Yamsk Eleven and had her resonate with her, at least that's the understanding I got from Tessa. He made her into a puppet for that… demon? It's the only word I can think of that truly fits._

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 08:56 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 404, Mansion K Apartments**

Kaname's hands shook as she held tight to the tea Kyoko had made. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "After everything else I suppose this won't sound crazy… not really."

Kyoko stared at her as Shinji's gaze flicked between the two friends and the phone. Slowly Kaname closed her eyes and wiped away the tears that ran down her cheeks.

"There was a secret city in Russia. You know they have closed cities there that aren't supposed to exist. This one was called Yamsk Eleven, it was created for the construction of psytechnic device to peer into the future. I don't really know how or why they did it, but among them was a test subject to receive the information. Her name was Sophia." Kaname set the cup of tea on the table before the couch as her shakes grew worse.

_I wonder why she is silent now… I hope she's gone, gone forever._ She took a deep breath. "On December 24th 1981 they had an accident. A wave of strange particles swept out from the device all across the globe. Those born within three minutes of the accident are the whispered. Everyone at the site died, going mad and attacking each other. Sophia… I don't know how but her mind survived in that machine… when Leonard had me resonate with her she… she showed me an illusion. Sousuke and Tessa had come to rescue me and… Sophia." She put her head in her hands and sobbed. "I…"

Kyoko slowly wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Since Sousuke isn't here." She whispered.

"I shot them." Kaname let out. "In the vision she gave me… I picked up a gun and shot them dead, like they were nothing and I believed it. She took over, and she… she… she possessed me, Kaname Chidori!"

"I knew it wasn't you, not really…" Sousuke muttered quietly.

Kyoko rubbed her back as Kaname remembered when Sousuke had launched his final rescue attempt. Some of it was a blur of images from Sophia's illusions or when she had taken full control. But one thing did stand out…

_The radio crackled and she stared at it, certain that the voice was a lie. Sousuke was dead, she'd killed him… shot him in the forehead and yet. _

"_...I'm serious, Kaname. I'm disappointed in you. I always thought you were a better person... no, that's not true, either. In fact, there were plenty of things that irritated me. You always hit people over the head, couldn't take an argument calmly; it often felt like you were preying on me, or trying to control me, and I got angry. You lived in your peaceful Japan, not knowing any real trouble, and didn't have the slightest bit of concern about me. Thinking about it now, that's just not fair. You were a cruel, cruel person... but that's not the most important thing. I just remembered it, and thought I'd tell it to you now, while I have the chance... so what I wanted to say is, does it look like you're the person I could throw away everything to save? In truth, I'm still thinking about it. I've been chasing you for a year, and was frustrated many, many times. In Mexico and in Yamsk-11, I was this close, but it all failed because you were slow. Think of yourself as a princess, eh? You really didn't want to do it? You thought that it was all right either way? Don't tell me you're crying now, hearing me say this? Or did the stupid girl expect comforting words from some stupid boy?"_

Kaname wiped her face with her sleeve and stared at the phone, tears still streaming down her cheeks. "Sousuke, the things you said to me… on Merida Island. Did you mean them?"

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 09:00 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Chuo Expressway**

Sousuke nearly collided with the truck he'd been working to pass as he heard her voice and felt his heart all but stop. _That… oh God she can't believe I meant that!_ He grit his teeth. "No Kaname… I, I knew it was the only way to get you out from Sophia's grip. Nothing I know can stand up to your wraith when angry, and I needed to reach you. So I said you were a princess, that you were cruel, and dared you to hit me with your harisen. The princess was Sophia, not you Kaname… I know cruelty and while I don't like being slapped around particularly, I knew you weren't doing it to be mean or cruel." He closed his eyes for a split second and took a deep breath. "I love you, flaws, temper, harisen, and all. Plus, it really doesn't hurt that bad."

Ono-D laughed.

"Why did you always say: 'That hurts' then?" Kaname asked.

"It did seem to stop you from additional blows."

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 09:01 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 404, Mansion K Apartments**

Kaname sat, relief pouring from her body language as a slight smile appeared on her lips. "You devious little otaku, I should have known… you limped around Khanka with a metal splinter the size of my palm in your side and didn't once say it hurt once."

_It's all out in the open now, Shinji and Kyoko heard it all and… Sousuke, there's not a hint of bitterness in him. _She glanced at the door to her bedroom where the harisen sat on the dresser and smirk. "Now hurry up and get back here!"

"Working on it."


	16. Chapter 14: Arrivals

**Sword and Shield**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 14:<strong> Arrivals

* * *

><p><strong>Article 6 of the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan <strong>1. _n._ A Status of Forces Agreement on the stationing of United States forces in Japan, with specifics on the provision of facilities and areas for their use and on the administration of Japanese citizens employed in the facilities. The Agreed Minutes to the treaty specified that the Japanese government must be consulted prior to major changes in United States force deployment in Japan or to the use of Japanese bases for combat operations other than in defense of Japan itself. Also covered are the limits of the two countries' jurisdictions over crimes committed in Japan by United States military personnel.

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 09:02 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Chuo Expressway**

Sousuke turned off the Expressway and onto one of the dozens of side-streets. If he remembered right there was a park beside the airport. He picked up the phone from where Ono-D had laid it and ended the call. "Thanks."

He flicked a switch on the radio. "Urzu Seven to Miller and Al, how are you doing?"

"Just reached Tokyo's outskirts, those two F-16s are still chasing us."

"We are now five minutes out, on approach already." Al's steady voice relayed.

Driving down the road he glanced to his left and saw the park entrance. If he remembered right the paths were easily large enough to accommodate a car like this. He scowled at the metal barriers that had been put up and glanced at Ono-D. "Sorry about the car."

"What?" Ono-D said.

Sousuke spun the wheel and smashed through the barriers smirking as the Lancer bounced across an island of land and dropped onto the red brick of the walkway. He revved the engine and gunned it down the path, swerving to avoid pedestrians and bikers. Then at the end of the parkway a simple chain length fence stood between the park and the airport taxiway. Gritting his teeth he hammered the throttle and smashed through the fence.

The car bounced across the concrete and skidded for a moment before Sousuke straightened out. He roared down the taxiway to the end of the runway and flipped the channel on the radio to the general aviation channel. "To the two United States F-16s in pursuit of Mithril Gulfstream Nineteen. Cease your pursuit or be fired upon."

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 09:05 hrs<strong>

**Over Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**14****th**** Fighter Squadron "Samurais", 35****th**** Fighter Wing**

Robert glanced down at his display and scowled. "This is Samurai Seven, who is this?"

"This is Mithril Operative Uruz Seven, cease your pursuit now. You're chasing a civilian aircraft with a teenage girl onboard. Do you really want her death on your conscience?"

A second voice crackled to life in his helmet and Robert froze as the radar track warning began to beep in his cockpit. Glancing down at the threat display, he saw a pair of radar signals coming up from the six o'clock position.

"Samurai Seven and Eight this is JSDF Lieutenant Colonel Yoshida, you are ordered to return to base immediately. Fail to respond to this warning and we are authorized to shoot you down."

"Fuck, Yoshi? You'd actually shoot us down?" Samurai Eight's voice echoed across the radio.

"Those are my orders."

"Well screw this, Samurai Eight is RTB!" Robert's wingman said. Glancing over his shoulder Robert watched his wingman pull away.

"Logan, what the hell?"

"I've got a teenage daughter at home Rob, I'm not about to make Yoshi turn her into a bastard child." His wingman answered.

"Fine." Robert growled under his breath then turned his attention to the contact. "I'll finish this."

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 09:06 hrs<strong>

**Over Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**3****rd**** Tactical Fighter Squadron, 3****rd**** Air Wing, Northern Air Defense Force**

Yoshida grit his teeth together as he watched the radar display and began to throttle up the aircraft. Behind him, he heard the catch as the afterburners kicked on turning the hiss of the engine into a deafening roar.

"Repeating, Samurai Seven, this is JSDF Lieutenant Colonel Tadashi Yoshida, you are ordered to return to base immediately. Fail to respond to this warning and we are authorized to open fire."

"Then do it Yoshi, I've got my orders too." The voice answered.

Yoshida swallowed down a lump in his throat as he flicked the master arm switch on his controls and selected an AIM-120 AMRAAM.

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 09:07 hrs<strong>

**Chofu Airport, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Northern end of the Tarmac**

Sousuke glanced at Onodera and sighed. "Sounds like the JSDF is helping stop the Americans too, there's some interceptors on their tails."

"But… I thought the Americans were our allies." Ono-D said.

"Would you like it if they shot down a plane over your neighborhood?" Sousuke answered as he swerved to the end of the runway. Sagara threw the car into park and stepped to the back with the headset still on. He threw open the rear door and grabbed the case. Then dropped it beside the car and popped it open. Scowling he pulled out the launcher and tube and assembled them as quick as he could then swung it over his shoulder.

His headset crackled again as Al transmitted on the general aviation channel. "One minute out."

Sousuke swallowed as he activated the targeting computer. "Samurai Seven, if you do not cease your pursuit you're going to be dodging missiles. You're pursuing a teenage girl, a civilian! Turn back now." Sousuke swore under his breath as he lifted the Stinger over his shoulder, flipped open the battery powered sensor system, and looked down the sight aperture. A dull buzzing from the device told him that it could see the F-16's heat plume. Sarah was almost down, Al bringing the Gulfstream in with ECS on barely above stall speed. He could hear the Gulfstream as the F-16 turned in the distance, rolling toward the runway.

Ono-D knelt behind the car watching Sagara as he lined up his sights. "Sagara?"

"I'm no archer so I doubt I'll hit him. All I need to do is keep him from firing for the next few seconds." Sousuke muttered. He'd never been given a chance with a Stinger in Afghanistan, they were too valuable and required a bigger man, and his short young frame simply wasn't strong enough to wield the weapon. Plus the Americans had foolishly given the weapons to Gulbuddin Hekmatyar instead of Majhid.

Mithril had included training with the weapon in basic but that was years ago. He hoped he remembered how to use it.

"Ten seconds to touchdown." Sarah called out.

Sousuke watched the F-16's nose swing to the left and right like a dog sniffing for a trail, still in pursuit. Anger flooding his veins he centered the targeting reticle on the F-16 and pulled the trigger.

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 09:08 hrs<strong>

**Over Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**14****th**** Fighter Squadron "Samurais", 35****th**** Fighter Wing**

"Fuck!" Robert swore as a plume of smoke marked a missile launch just off the runway. His hand punched the flare dispenser and he hit the afterburner before tearing the craft into a break turn toward the missile.

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 09:08 hrs<strong>

**Chofu Airport, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Northern end of the Tarmac**

Ono-D watched the missile roar toward the F-16 as a volley of flares shot from its underside and it turned sharply. The missile charged toward the flares and exploded beside them missing cleanly. _The movies never capture how damn loud and fast those are._ He thought as he slowly lowered his hands from over his ears and looked at Sousuke.

"Told you I'd miss." He said as he dropped the tube in the case and slammed it shut. Then he grinned. "Now, let's go get Sarah." Sousuke shoved the case in the trunk and shut it before dropping behind the driver's seat. Ono-D blinked in surprise as he dropped into the passenger's side. _Sousuke was happy he missed?_

"Mithril HQ, we had a hangar at Chofu correct?" Sousuke asked as he clasped the headset with one hand and started the car. He paused for a moment then nodded flipping a switch on the communications channel. "Al, taxi to Hangar D-9, we'll meet you there."

Seconds later a pair of sonic boom echoed across the airport as two blue Mitsubishi F-2A fighters screamed overhead at just over five hundred meters, their afterburners lit.

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 09:08 hrs<strong>

**Over Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**3****rd**** Tactical Fighter Squadron, 3****rd**** Air Wing, Northern Air Defense Force**

Lieutenant Colonel Yoshida had blinked in shock as a missile launch warning screamed in his headset. With a glance down at the display, he'd watched a missile roar toward Samurai Seven just as he entered visual range. _Some sort of help from the ground?_ He switched to AIM-9 Sidewinders and grit his teeth as he locked onto the F-16. "Robert, this is your last chance."

"Fuck, I lost them!" The American pilot growled. "What are you guys, in league with these people? Did you see what they did to—"

"Mithril saved hundreds, maybe thousands of lives. If we are in league with them, I'm glad. Now surrender and head back to base or you'll be testing that thing's ejection system and I'll be praying your plane doesn't kill anybody when it hits the ground."

"Shit…"

"Now, what will it be?"

"Samurai Seven is RTB…" The American replied.

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 09:11 hrs<strong>

**Chofu Airport, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Hangar D-9, General Aviation Section**

The drive to the hangar wasn't as stressful as the ride there, Ono-D thought to himself in the passenger's seat. "Damn it Sagara, I hope you know what you're doing and have got the money to repair any damage you did."

Sousuke actually smirked as he came to a stop at the hangar doors. "Money is not a problem."

"Really? How much do you get paid?" Ono-D asked as he stepped out of the car.

"My yearly salary in Mithril was two-hundred-and-fifty thousand United States Dollars."

Ono-D's jaw dropped. "That much?"

"Plus I didn't use that much of it." Sousuke observed as he walked into the hangar. Suddenly the air shimmered and Ono-D scowled at the smell of ozone. Then a jet appeared in the middle of the hangar. As they walked up to the front the side hatch opened and a woman stepped out holding a large case with both hands.

Her exaggerated bow of greeting made Ono-D laugh.

Sousuke smiled and gestured between them. "Sarah Miller meet Ono-D."

"Hi." She said grinning and Ono-D shook his head. Green eyes and long red hair screamed to the world just how foreign she was.

Sousuke shrugged. "Is that Al in the case?"

"Yes it is." She said with a giggle. "I don't think he likes being in it."

"You neglected to include visual pickups, so perhaps you should describe the scene to me Miss Miller?" Al answered and Ono-D stared at the case a bit perplexed.

_That's… what the hell?_ Onodera glanced between the case and Sousuke. "Sagara, is that an AI or something?"

Sousuke scratched his head vigorously for a moment then nodded. It was a habit that he seemed to have picked up from Kaname through osmosis. "Well yes, Al is an AI."

"Sergeant Sagara, have you considered procuring a car for my new chassis. I am afraid we may have destroyed my last body." The AI asked.

"I've been a bit busy Al." Sousuke muttered as he glanced at the Gulfstream G. IV and furrowed his brow at the tail section where he could see the burn marks from countless flare launches by the plane. "I take it the flight over was rather… stressful."

"The Russians tried to shoot us down. Then the Americans tried to shoot us down…" Sarah sighed. "At least they won't be anywhere near me now…"

Sousuke actually flinched. "I'm afraid that's something we'll have to discuss in private."

Onodera glanced at his friend. _What does that mean… is Sousuke being pursued or something? I really would feel better if I wasn't involved._ He sighed. "Sagara, don't tell me my life is in danger now…"

"It shouldn't be, the Americans would gain nothing with the endangerment of civilians." Sousuke stepped up to Sarah and took Al's case gingerly then glared at it. "And you… we're going to Kaname's so you best behave or…"

"You'll scrap me." Al stated. "Perhaps she will be more appreciative of my abilities then you, partner."

"Right… let's get going." Sagara rolled his eyes and sighed. "I have an angry girlfriend to console." Sousuke muttered to himself as he gestured to the car.

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 19:15 hrs<strong>

**Washington, District of Columbia, United States**

**White House Situation Room**

Deputy Director of Intelligence, General Gordon stared at the tracking displays before him and sighed. "Damn, damn, damn…"

"She got away." Sandy Berger stated simply. "Now that's she's in Japan this may become much more difficult not to mention the mess Madeleine has to clean up now."

"We already have two Delta Force teams in country. If we can locate her we can move to retrieve her, though that will be difficult if the Japanese government elects to provide her with government protection." The General sighed. "Not to mention they already have a tasking."

"I suppose we can use this event to gauge Japanese reaction to that operation." Sandy Berger stated with a growl of frustration. "They're pissed now, if it was a Japanese citizen and daughter of a diplomat…"

"They'll be angrier. We'll just have to make sure they don't have any evidence to pin it on us. I'll make sure any operational plan they pass along includes plans to limit evidence that it's our nation. We could always frame the Soviets or another government, not to mention whatever remains of Amalgam." The General sighed. "Moreover we have to find out how they knew of this operation. There may be a leak or a line of communications for them from Mithril that we are unaware of."

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 09:18 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 404, Mansion K Apartments**

Kaname sighed. _The talk had helped. Somewhat, okay only a little._ Part of her brain was still screaming in terror as she sat there on the couch. Kyoko watched her carefully, rubbing her back softly hoping to distract her.

"Shinji, now might be a good time to show Kaname those pictures." Kyoko said quietly.

"Pictures?" Kaname blinked as Shinji nodded and pulled a folder from his laptop case and set it on the coffee table.

"Kyoko and I have been trying to keep track of Sousuke over the last year." Shinji said. "It hasn't been easy. The online AS and military community is so full of rumors and people trying to sound important most of the time, but I did find some things. Plus someone in Mithril contacted me a couple of months ago and asked the class to put together a video for Sousuke. They said it would be loaded onto his new Arm Slave, though I didn't tell the class that." He glanced at Kyoko. "I think it was someone that we knew, or knew us… Mao-san or Weber-san maybe. Though they didn't say their name and the e-mail went to some account I've never heard of."

_It would have to be someone that knew Shinji was Sousuke's friend, but I thought Kurz and Mao were out of communication most of the time… Maybe Tessa or…_ Kaname glanced out the window and blinked as she caught the glint of glass reflecting off a riflescope. _Wraith? Would she have done that… she always seemed to have such a bizarre sense of humor._

"I could guess." Kaname said. "Tessa, Melissa, or Kurz are likely ones though there's one more that might have done it."

"Who?" Shinji asked.

"I don't think you've met her." Kaname smiled tightly. "Though she's been looking after Sagara and me for a long time."

"Anyway…" Shinji pulled out the first picture and set it before her. "I was looking up some information on the Second Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan and stumble across this picture online… umm, the caption gave everyone's name so I'm not sure it's really Sousuke but it really looks like him."

He set it on the counter and Kaname blinked, her gaze flicking from face to face before it froze over the young boy sitting beside the smiling man. She felt her eyes widen. _It really looks like Sousuke… his hair is longer and that cap looks kind of goofy on him, but the scar is there and so is the stoic look he used to have all the time._

"It really does look like him doesn't it?" Kyoko said beside her.

Kaname nodded. "Yeah, it does. Shinji, what the caption say his name was?"

"Uh, Kashim… adopted son of Ahmad Shah Massoud." Shinji said.

Kaname froze remembering the time in North Korea.

_Sousuke's Rk-92 had been felled by Gauron in his Chodarl. The mech stood over him, the massive AS rifle pointed at Sousuke who was exposed. Gauron began to laugh, the slight movements of his body as he laughed translating into the mech as well. "This is a big surprise. Are you Kashim? I hadn't noticed. I never knew you were at Mithril. How's Lieutenant Commander Kalinin? Is that chicken doing alright?"_

She shivered once at the memory. The man had once been their main enemy, a thorn in the side that they couldn't easily remove. After Hong Kong he was dead. _Good riddance._ She smiled faintly at that and ran her finger along the picture. "It's Sousuke."

"How do you know?" Shinji asked glancing at the picture.

"During the hijacking in Korea one of the terrorists taunted Sousuke, like he knew him. He called him Kashim and Sousuke answered to the name." Kaname sighed.

"So that really is Sagara-kun?" Kyoko stared at the picture a bit surprised at the confirmation.

"Yes, it's him." She smiled faintly. "I think Sousuke would like to see it."

"Well umm…" Kyoko glanced at the picture for a moment. "Can we keep it secret for a little while?"

"Why?" Kaname asked glancing at her friend.

"Well, I made scrapbooks for our classmates at graduation and… I was going to put this one in Sousuke's if it was him." She admitted shyly.

_Scrapbooks?_ Suddenly she stiffened. "That's why you were following me and Sousuke while we were shopping isn't it!"

"Maybe…" Kyoko gave her a half smile. "You were gone for a year so I needed to fill it somehow! Plus, Shinji has more pictures to show you."

Kaname smiled. "Thanks Ky." She glanced over at Shinji as he pulled out another picture.

"This is newer, some AS fans had images from a bunch of AS competitions that were being held. I… I couldn't believe it when I saw it, but it's definitely Sousuke. He had a terrible alias." Shinji snickered as he pulled out an image of a group standing around a battered Rk-92 Savage.

She felt her heart tighten as she saw Sousuke leaning against one of the arms, clearly unhappy… more stoic and serious then she'd seen him since the first few weeks at Jindai. _This must be before Mexico… _Slowly she took a deep breath and glanced at the rest of the group.

The redheaded girl sitting on the Rk-92's arm jogged a memory. She was smiling with a wrench in her hand and… _I know her, but how… could it be?_ Slowly Kaname tapped the image of the girl. "Shinji… was there a caption?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I know her…" Kaname said tapping the girl's image. "It's weird, like from a dream or something…"

"The caption said her name was Nami… no last or family name." Shinji pursed his lips.

She nodded slowly and glanced down at the picture.

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 08:32 hrs<strong>

**Mithril Headquarters, Sydney, Australia**

**Headquarters Runway Tarmac**

Tessa smiled as the MV-22 Osprey shimmered into existence mere seconds before touching down. Already she'd setup the decontamination shower that the crew would have to use, along with Kurz and Melissa. It'd taken a little while, and after she'd knocked it down once after a particularly embarrassing trip she'd had to repair a little bit of damage to the tarps that made up the exterior of the tent.

She'd also drawn a full set of class B equipment for Kurz and Melissa, and managed to scrounge up two tactical vests devoid of camouflage or unit identification. They weren't going to be as uniform oriented now… _with so few of us now it's not really necessary, and a uniform is evidence… it can be tracked back to an organization._

The MV-22 settled onto the ground and it's massive twin rotors slowed to a stop as Kurz and Melissa clambered off the ramp still clad in their NBC suits. She could almost see Kurz's grin as he pantomimed a hug. "Tessa-chan!"

Melissa immediately dropped him onto his face with a swift sweep of her legs and Tessa could see her eyes rolling behind the clear glass. "No touching Tessa… not now, not ever!"

"Awww…" Kurz moaned under Melissa's booted foot. "But she's so huggable and cute!"

"It would be ill advised to hug me covered with radioactive ash." Tessa said. "I set up the decontamination shower, so I trust you can explain to Weber and the Osprey crew what to do?"

Melissa nodded. "Yeah." She sighed. "I'm afraid that we had to… eliminate some opposition on the way out. A patrol tried to stop us and then they sent a bunch of Humvees with ma deuce mounts, Kurz had to drop some of the gunners."

"Compared to what Sarah Miller pulled escaping Alaska…" Tessa sighed and shook her head. "Get showered up. I need to get back to the communications room and…"

She stopped as the clack of a heavy cane on the tarmac reached her ears and turned as the Admiral stepped toward them, holding a pair of large bottles of red wine. She smiled slightly. "Oh right… I almost forgot." Tessa giggled.

"No need to rush, Sarah is safely down in Chofu." The Admiral said. "It seems that the JSDF almost was forced to shoot down one of the American jets, but the situation is now resolved… save for the diplomatic repercussions." He chuckled slightly. "The Prime Minister is threatening to revoke the 1960 Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan."

Tessa's eyes widened. "That… that would kick all American forces out of Japan, I had no idea that… they'd do something like that!"

"It's just a threat to let America know they grossly overstepped their bounds. They wouldn't go through with it, not with the threats of North China, North Korea, and Russia… not to mention continuing territorial disagreements between them." Admiral Borda sighed. "At least I don't think they will, perhaps they will find an alternative means to let their displeasure known."

"Such as?" Tessa asked.

"I'm not sure, but I've been asked to travel to Japan by their Foreign Affair's Minister to discuss the status of Mithril personnel among… other things." The Admiral ran a hand through his grey hair. "Mao, Weber. Listen up."

The two former SRT members snapped to attention and he smiled slightly. "I'll be taking Tessa to Japan with me. You are to follow with a full combat kit of class B equipment for yourselves using the Osprey as transport. Arrival point will be Chofu Airport. You will also transport a full kit of class B equipment for Sagara's use. Since I will likely be in consultations and the age of majority in japan is twenty years old, Tessa will be unable to sign documents or legal papers… Since normally I've acted as her guardian and will be busy with the diplomats, I'm afraid that Mao will be responsible for any such paperwork. Due to Sagara's current status as both being under age and without a legal guardian, Mao will also have to act as his guardian until another can be found or…" The Admiral sighed. "I know you're fond of him as a team mate… so if you want we could always offer you permanent guardianship."

Melissa laughed. "He'll be twenty soon enough, so if it came down to it I could handle that until he's an 'adult'."

Tessa glanced at the woman she'd grown to consider her big sister and smirked for a moment before her smile faded. "Unfortunately that means I won't be able to obtain a hotel room…" The smirk returned in a flash. "Unless…"

"Uh oh…" Melissa glanced at Tessa. "I know that look."

Kurz arched an eyebrow under the hood. "She looks devious… what could that mean?"

_It would be easier to guard us if we're all in one location…_ The smirk turned toothy and she played with her braid. "Oh… I just had an idea."

Kurz waggled his brows enough for them to be visible despite the hood and glanced at Mao. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Kaname is going to have a few guests for a while." Mao snickered then let out a tired sigh. "Sousuke is going to have a heart attack."

"Oh… guess I was wrong about sharing a room with Tessa-chan." Kurz said just before Melissa jabbed him in the gut.

* * *

><p><strong>26 March 2000, 19:45 hrs<strong>

**New York, State of New York, United States**

**Office of the High Commissioner on Environmental Issues, United Nations Building**

Chidori Shunya rubbed his glasses as he listened to the discussion taking place. His presence there was a courtesy, one that had nothing to do with his position in the United Nations and every bit to do with his daughter.

_Kaname is a whispered._ He remembered back to the briefing he'd been given immediately after the attack on Jindai High. What he'd been told by the officials that had come to his home after the news had arrived was stunning and terrifying. To think that his daughter had been someone of such value, of such a hidden talent, but it had clarified much of the events of the previous year. The hijacking and seajacking had been put in new light with that information along with the existence of the organization Mithril and the agents it had put in place.

He'd heard the name of one of the agents before, often times when Kaname had to relay a funny or exciting story to Ayame. _Sagara Sousuke, Kaname's assigned body guard and member of the Mithril Special Response Team. It certainly put all her stories of the 'crazy military otaku' at school in new light._

He rubbed his forehead idly for a long moment then sighed. His entire presence was due to one singular fact. If the Americans were willing to shoot down a jet in their borders to keep one whispered from escaping, would they go to similar lengths to capture known whispered? When she'd been taken he considered ending her lease at the apartment… he'd wanted her near him if she ever escaped, but with the actions America had taken he was glad he'd left things with the status quo. It would have made things all too easy for America to snatch her away. He'd liked his work in America and found that some of those he worked with looked to him as a friend, but it wasn't their decision what their nation did.

_Nations have interests, not friendships._

The Ambassador of Japan to the United Nations sat across from him, leaning on the desk while the familiar voices of the Ambassador of Japan to the United States and the Minister of Foreign Affairs could be heard through the line. Suddenly, the Minister turned his attention to him. "Chidori-sama, I understand this is not normally a subject within your field of expertise, but considering your daughter, we were wondering if you had any advice on that front."

Shunya nodded slowly. "You are aware that I once served in the Defense Forces, but I must admit that I know little of commando or espionage operations. I am gravely concerned that if America was willing to take the actions it has that they will also be willing to take action to secure my daughter despite being both a Japanese citizen and a daughter to a High Commissioner of the United Nations." He closed his eyes. "I admit that I was once worried that my position would make her a target for terrorists, but now I'm praying that it offers her some form of protection. It would normally be around this time that I would be checking up on her but… this has priority."

"I admit these provocative actions taken by the United States requires some firm form of response, but I doubt that the Americans will believe we would seriously consider revoking the military alliance between our two nations." The Ambassador to the United States stated.

Across from Shunya the United Nations Ambassador Kiyotaka Akasakaslowly nodded. "Despite our massive presence and the work we have done within the United Nations, Britain would likely block any attempt to force an issue through the UN and the design of the Security Council would make action therefore impossible."

Shunya nodded slowly and glanced at Kiyotaka, the two men were of a similar stripe and had become friends during the Kyoto Conference on Climate Change. The treaty the conference produced had all but failed due to the same government they were now facing: the United States.

"We shouldn't be looking at something that has serious repercussions to our economic or strategic interests. Without American Military forces we would be vulnerable to encroachment by a number of strategic opponents." The Minister of Foreign Affairs said. "What they've done is a slap in the face. We should do something of equal measure in response."

"Mithril." Shunya said quietly. "They have given great assistance to our nation over the past two years. Perhaps we should do something for them. That would certainly be a slap in the face to the Americans. An offer amnesty or protection in our nation perhaps?"

"That is an interesting option, and one of the reasons that I have contacted Admiral Borda and relayed a request for a visit at his earliest convenience. He is currently arranging transit to Tokyo and will likely arrive by the end of the day." The Minister of Foreign Affairs stated. "Merely meeting with him publically would be a suitable response."

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 09:50 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 404, Mansion K Apartments**

Kaname smiled as Shinji pulled out the last two photos and slid them across the table to her. She grinned widely as she recognized the massive red and white Arm Slave and Sousuke standing beside it or within it in the case of the second image.

"I saw this thing on the news this morning." Shinji said tapping it. "Apparently someone stole it in Alaska and used it to escape, and then set the thing to overload and self-destruct destroying the Alaskan base."

Her smile faded slightly. "Sousuke won't like that… the, AI aboard was a friend of his."

"The AI?" Shinji blinked. "So you know what this thing is?"

"Yeah… the ARX-8 Laevantein." Kaname wiped a tear from her face. "It was the AS they replaced the Arbalest with… you remember, the suit that was destroyed at Jindai High. It was how he saved me… this unit, it had something I made."

"You made?" Kyoko asked.

Kaname nodded. "Fairy Feather, it was a Lambda Driver jammer. Leonard's AS relied on the Lambda Driver for just about everything. With a bit of concentration Sousuke could simply shut it off." She smiled. "You remember hearing about a nuclear explosion in the South Pacific?"

Shinji nodded while Kyoko just watched her.

"Sousuke was there. The unit's Lambda Driver protected him from the blast." She closed her eyes. "The Americans picked him up and the unit then interrogated him in Okinawa about it… till he broke out. That was the day of graduation for you two." She smiled at the fresh and happy memory of that day.

"What is this Lambda Driver?" Shinji asked.

Kaname sighed. "Its… well… it's a force field generator keyed to the emotional state of the pilot. Becoming angry or an instinctive need to protect oneself can trigger offensive and defensive applications of the system. From structural reinforcement to defensive shielding to offensive sheathing of fired ammunition…" She closed her eyes. "No one really has a good handle on how to use it since being keyed to the emotional state of the pilot makes it so temperamental."

Shinji slowly nodded and tapped the picture. "So this thing had both the shield generator and the jammer? How could he loose?"

Kaname chuckled. "It was a close thing all the same… I think I know who the girl is…"

"Sarah Miller?" Shinji asked.

Kaname nodded. "That's right you were with me and Sousuke when we talked about that. I'm still trying to remember where I saw the girl." She sighed. "Normally daddy would call around now when I don't have school…"

"Maybe he's busy with something." Kyoko said. "Are you feeling better now?"

"A little." Kaname admitted sheepishly. _Sousuke you better…_

The door opened with a click and Sousuke walked in. Before she knew what was happening Kaname was out of the chair and running to him.

Kaname clung to him, holding him as tight as she could, her terrified mind calming at the scent of cordite and oil clinging to him. She smiled at the tiny hint of aftershave she smelled as she nuzzled him. "Sousuke, oh Sousuke." Tears swam down her cheeks as she looked up at his face and saw tears running down his cheeks as well.

"I'm sorry, I… I didn't mean to cause you this pain." His hold on her tightened and he bowed his head in shame. "I just didn't want to disturb your sleep."

"Baka!" She muttered burying her head in his chest. "I was terrified when I woke and you weren't there."

* * *

><p>Kyoko watched the two of them, tears beginning to well up in her own eyes. She could see the pain they both bore. What Kaname had told her had been horrifying: hauled from one spot to another like cattle, possessed by Sophia, and forced to watch her own hand gun down Sousuke and Tessa. Seeing the two of them like this told her more than she ever had wanted to know. Nothing had cut the other so deep as finding each staring down the barrel of the other's weapon.<p>

It had only been a few weeks since they'd found each other, saved each other. The year had ground the two of them down to the point that all that remained for them was the other. They were all they had.

It was no wonder they had found Kaname so distraught in her room, a baseball bat and a gun in her lap. The sheer terror of finding Sousuke gone, her protection elsewhere had been enough to make her an emotional wreck. The two of them would go through hell for each other, and they had. It showed.

"Ummm…" A girl with red curly hair sputtered from the doorway.

Kyoko lifted her finger to her lips and fixed the redheaded girl with death glare. _Just leave them be._ Then she froze and glanced between the girl and the pictures. _Sarah Miller?_

* * *

><p>Sousuke smiled at Kaname and held her close. "It's not a problem. I am back. There are two people here I think you would like to meet." As he shifted to the side he gestured to the girl standing in the doorway, Ono-D just behind her. She held a case in her hands that looked vaguely like a metal suitcase, much like what one would see in a spy film or something similar for holding money.<p>

"Kaname, meet Sarah Miller. I think you already know Al." Sousuke said.

"I believe my lack of visual sensors means I've missed a touching moment." Al stated from the case and Kaname flushed brightly.

"Al…" Sousuke grumbled.

"Ah yes, I will shut up now. I have no wish to be scrapped." The AI said quickly. Kaname smiled slightly and shook her head before glancing at Sarah and giving a curt bow.

"A pleasure to meet you." Sarah said in English, giving another exaggerated bow that left the Japanese in the room struggling to hold off laughing.

Kaname snickered and stepped past Sousuke and offered her hand. "Please, you're just embarrassing yourself."

"Oh…" Sarah smiled slightly as she straightened up and took her hand. "Sorry…"

"There is nothing to be sorry about. It is easy to make a mistake such as that when first introduced to another culture." Sousuke stated as he stepped to the couch and picked up the remote. Frowning slightly he turned on the television and sighed. "It's not yet noon and I've already spent several thousand dollars in ordinance."

"You what!" Kaname bellowed.

"I fired a missile at an F-16 pursuing Miss Miller. Kaname… I had no real choice. Fortunately the evasive action the pilot took saved his life and ensured he was unable to destroy the aircraft Miss Miller was within." Sousuke sighed as he glanced at the news. "It seems that the JSDF's interception of the American mission has not made the news. Perhaps they are trying to keep it quiet for the moment."

Shinji gaped at Sousuke. "The Self Defense Force acted against the Americans?"

"Yes, it was only logical considering they were attempting to shoot down an aircraft with a civilian registration over their air space. I do believe that would be a significant breach of Japanese sovereignty." Sousuke sighed. _I hope this request will not upset her._

"Kaname, Miss Miller has no identification and like us is not of legal age. She will need someplace to stay, and protection if the Americans continue to pursue her."

Kaname sighed. "Alright, I suppose I owe her for making that red hunk of junk."

"If I was still installed within the ARX-8 Laevantein I might have felt insulted." Al stated.

Sarah giggled as Kaname smirked at the box. "Is he always that bad?"

"No, usually he is worse." Sousuke said.

"Uhm… I hate to mention this, but I don't have much in the way of clothes at the moment." Sarah said quietly.

"Shopping trip!" Kyoko said with a large grin.

Then the phone rang.

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 09:14 hrs<strong>

**Mithril Headquarters, Sydney, Australia**

**Communications Room**

Tessa tapped a pen against the table as the phone rang a tired smile on her lips. _I can sleep on the plane for a few hours._ There was a bang as the door opened and Kurz and Mao stumbled inside carrying a set of plastic cases containing equipment of different sorts. With a sigh Mao tossed one of the cases on the table and opened it.

"You'd think a supply sergeant would know how to organize a fucking armory!" Melissa groused as she picked up a P90 personal defense weapon from inside and started to check it. "You got the SLAMs?"

"Yeah, Sousuke loved these damn things. No matter how many we grab he'll go through all of them inside a month." Kurz said opening a large box and pulling out what looked like a small black speaker. "M3 and M4 models, got to say they're easy as fuck to disguise for bobby traps." He held it up and smirked. "Damn thing looks like a speaker."

"I wish they made a frag version of them, or an antipersonnel variant. Damn Claymores are still twist fuse detonate and they're damn obvious." Melissa said.

"Uhm… I'm on the phone!" Tessa hissed as she clasped the phone to her shoulder and glared at the two of them.

"Chidori Residence." A tired sounding girl's voice answered.

"Chidori-san!" Tessa almost squealed in delight at hearing the voice of her old friend. "It's so good to hear from you!"

"Tessa!"

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 10:15 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 404, Mansion K Apartments**

Kaname felt the eyes of everyone in the room lock on her as she said that and a wicked smile slipped across her face. "So you were the one that sent Sousuke out on an errand!"

"Yes…" Tessa said, her voice suddenly getting nervous.

_Oh boy… this is nostalgic._ Kaname's grin widened as she sat down on the couch. "So are you calling to see if he completed his mission or is this something less… formal?"

"Well umm… Actually I need to ask a favor."

"Me? Ask me a favor, Tessa?" Kaname rolled her eyes as Sousuke started to sweat somewhat beside her. She glanced at him and squeezed his knee affectionately. _Don't worry Sousuke…_

"I'll be on my way to Japan in a few hours and… I need someplace to stay."

"Arrgh…" Kaname growled as she glared at the phone. _What is this? Am I now running a hotel, maybe a hostel? Damn it!_ "Tessa! Can't Mithril set up something for you?"

"Not really since… well, Mithril disbanded." Tessa sighed. "I don't want to be forced to rent a room at a love hotel or something. Please, it'll just be a few nights. You could invite your friends and make it a sleep over!"

_Oh I will…_ Kaname laughed hysterically and glanced at Kyoko and Shinji, a wide grin on her face. "That doesn't sound like a bad idea. When's your flight?"

"About an hour… it's almost a ten hour flight so it'll be really late when I get there." Tessa answered.

Kaname nodded and glanced at Ono-D by the door. "You mind giving us a ride to pick-up a friend?"

"Uh…" Ono-D glanced at Sousuke. "Does this have anything to do with…"

"Tessa is coming." Kaname said.

Ono-D brightened and gave a slight smile before nodding. "Sure, I could do that."

"Oh this is going to be fun!" Kyoko said with a big smile.

"We'll be there to pick you up Tessa… what's the flight number?" Kaname asked.

"JAL 297… I'll see you around nine o'clock tonight then?" Tessa giggled on the phone.

"Yeah, you'll see us then." Kaname grinned. "Is anyone else coming?"

"Well, Kurz and Melissa will be arriving tomorrow to help with security. Admiral Borda is supposed to be meeting with the Foreign Affair's Minister for consultations too…" Tessa sighed. "It will be easier to protect me, Sarah, and yourself if we're living together for the next few days."

"Yeah… despite America knowing you're here the moment you walk in the door." Kaname sighed. "Okay, I'll see you then Tessa." Kaname hung up the phone and blew at her bangs. "I just set myself up for a couple days from hell, didn't I?"

Sousuke looked at her confused while the others in the room watched for a long moment.

"Tessa is coming and will be living with us for a few days Sousuke." Kaname said. "She suggested…" A wide grin spread over her face as she glanced at Kyoko. "That we have a slumber party tonight. She really wants to see you again."

Sousuke began to sweat nervously. "Slumber party?"

"Yeah silly, where a bunch of people have a sleep over, we can watch TV and catch up. I bet we've got a lot to catch up on right?" Kaname grinned at Sousuke.

"Affirmative." Sousuke slumped in the chair.

"But first!" Kyoko said in a loud voice. "Sarah needs clothes!"

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 10:20 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 509, ****Lions Mansion Apartments**

The CIA Agent swallowed down a lump in his throat as his fingers flew across the keys of the laptop. The audio log of the conversations he'd listened in was saved and readied for transmission, not to mention the two phone conversations.

_Damn… this is big, huge even. What these kids did… who really knows all this stuff? The Mithril Office usually doesn't know jack and these two kids bared their souls about what happened over the last year. The young man had been nuked, it was unbelievable and yet… something I'm starting to expect from this assignment._

Taking a deep breath he glanced at the report and information requests that now filled his screen. The Delta Team would get a complete copy as well… Though he doubted they'd act on anything yet.

The operative suppressed a nervous laugh as he imagined the group of soldiers bursting in on the teens during their sleep over. It was so absurd, and something definitely worth telling his partner.


	17. Chapter 15: Full House

**Sword and Shield**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 15:<strong> Full House

* * *

><p><strong>Human shield<strong> 1. _n. _A military and political term describing the deliberate placement of civilians in or around combat targets to deter an enemy from attacking those targets.

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 10:30 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 404, ****Mansion K Apartments**

Kyoko watched in surprise as Kaname picked up the Glock 26 pistol and slipped it into her purse. After a moment, she opened one of the drawers of her dresser, pulled a stun gun from under some towels, and checked the charge.

"Kana-chan, when did you get that?" Kyoko asked eying the stun gun for a moment.

"Oh… this?" Kaname lifted the stun gun in her hand and shrugged. "Sousuke got it for me… shortly before he was recalled that one time." She chuckled lightly. "He could probably get me a nuke if I asked for it."

"I saw you pull it on that Yakuza." Kyoko said. "Maybe you'll run into him today."

"I hope not." Kaname laughed then Kyoko saw her expression fall. "I've had enough excitement for one day already." She stuffed the stun gun into the purse as well and sighed. "Maybe, enough for a lifetime."

Kyoko glanced at the floor from her seat on Kaname's bed and sighed. "How do you think Sousuke feels?"

"I know…" Kaname sighed. "He's been fighting since he was a kid. He doesn't like to talk about his past. It has to be really painful. Tessa probably knows more about that then I do." Kaname ran a hand along the soft sweater she'd chosen and smiled at her friend. "Of course, I don't want to dig up any of his old wounds… you've seen how many scars he has at the beach, there's got to be a story behind each of them."

Kyoko nodded slowly. "Well… I suppose he's not the only person with scars."

The brush Kaname had picked up for her hair dropped to the top of the dresser with a loud thump and she glanced at her friend. "Ky…"

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up…" Kyoko closed her eyes.

"How bad?" Kaname asked quietly.

Kyoko sighed and pantomimed a length from just under her bust to the small of her back. "So long as I wear one piece suits or normal clothes it's not noticeable."

"I'm sorry Kyoko." Kaname whispered quietly.

"It's not your fault, I know Sousuke tried…" Kyoko shook her head. "I just wish he'd been a bit faster."

Kaname nodded and sighed. "I wish he'd beaten Leonard…" She pursed her lips and pulled a small digital memory card for a camera out. "You want some more pictures for that scrap book?"

"Sure."

"These are some pictures I took on that trip to the South Pacific Sousuke invited me on." Kaname grinned. "You remember the one."

Kyoko nodded. "The one you said nothing happened on…"

"We got… sidetracked." Kaname sighed. "Our flight got diverted and… I had my first experience with sky diving."

"Oh… save it Kaname, we can ask tonight, but I do want to see the pictures!" Kyoko said.

Kaname laughed and handed her the memory card. "Maybe it'll be enough for you to finish those scrap books."

"I hope so…" Kyoko pursed her lips and glanced around the room, a devious smirk sliding over her lips. "Where's Sousuke sleep anyway?"

"Uhhh…"

* * *

><p>"Kaname!" A scandalized shout echoed through the bedroom door and Sousuke arched an eyebrow as he sat down on the couch and leaned over the case that contained Al. Sighing he picked up one of the small omelet's that Shinji had ordered for breakfast.<p>

"It's much smaller than I expected compared to the old AI housing." He stated simply as Sarah sat across from him and nodded.

"I do not believe that you have ever shown an interest in the ongoing advancements in computing." Al answered. "In another eighteen months or so I could probably fit inside a very small laptop with ease. However… I still would very much appreciate a set of optical sensors, being blind is really quite troublesome."

Shinji laughed lightly and leaned over the table setting his magazine on the top of the table. "I never heard of an AI this advanced, he can hold a conversation and everything." He glanced at Sarah. "Did you design him?"

Sarah shook her head. "My talents aren't in that area unfortunately… Al was created by a young man named Bani Morauta, sadly he is no longer with us. I wish I could have met him."

"It seems I am all that remains of his work." Al stated and despite the even robotic voice Sousuke thought he could hear a hint of emotion. "It is rather sad."

Shinji glanced at the two of them and sighed. "So… Sarah, you're an AS designer?"

Sarah flashed a smile and nodded. "Yeah…"

"That's so cool! I mean nobody ever gets to talk to an AS designer, it's like they're hidden away in little super-secret labs where no one can find them." Shinji said quickly in surprisingly good English.

Sarah chuckled. "That's because we are… Imagine if everybody knew a girl my age was designing military robots!"

"I suppose you do have a point." Shinji said. He flipped open the magazine and pursed his lips as he skimmed through the articles. "I'd hide that fact too."

Sousuke closed his eyes. _You have no idea Shinji…_ He let out a tired sigh. "I don't want to frighten Shinji but we're not exactly safe even here… Wraith identified a pair of AH-6J helicopters and a pair of operatives that have been shadowing Kaname and I. We believe them to be CIA."

"God damn it!" Sarah growled and held her head. "All I want is to be left alone!"

"AH-6J Little Birds, like what Delta Force and the US Rangers use?" Kazama asked quickly.

Sousuke nodded. "ECS equipped to boot, so probably Delta Force. If it is only those two birds we're looking at maybe two Delta Teams, so around eight men plus the helicopter pilots. CIA agents aren't really useful in abductions except for gathering intelligence, and between Kaname and I we've just got two pistols and a stun gun. It's also possible, perhaps even likely that we are under surveillance… bugs, wire taps, remote microwave listening devices."

"Three pistols." Sarah said pulling a Five-seveN from her jacket pocket and setting it on the table followed by three magazines.

Sousuke picked up the weapon and hit the magazine release before making sure the weapon was safe. "Sarah… do you remember your gun safety courses?" He asked as he worked the action and caught the cartridge that jumped out.

"Oops…"

"Both of the Glocks we have are nine millimeter parabellum, so they'll have trouble with the body armor the Delta Force operatives will likely be clad in. It's fortunate that you had an armor piercing pistol on hand." Sousuke checked the bullets in the magazine and nodded again. "Yes, very fortunate." Sousuke loaded the gun again and set it on the table and sighed. "If they do have body armor in their attempt my pistol may as well be loaded with rubber bullets."

Shinji glanced at his friend. "Sousuke if you're targeted shouldn't you bug out or…"

"We don't have any place to go. All my contingency plans went up in smoke when Amalgam attacked." Sousuke took a deep breath. "Besides, we're hoping to stall any attempt until some other operatives can arrive." A slight smile slipped across Sousuke's face. "You are aware of American doctrine when it comes to civilian presence around a valuable target."

Shinji's eyes widened suddenly. "You… that's devious." He grinned. "That's really devious."

Sarah glanced between the two military experts. "Huh?"

"American doctrine when attacking a target with a large civilian presence is… they don't." Sousuke stated simply.

"Oh…" Sarah giggled. "The slumber party defense!"

"Affirmative."

Onodera scowled from where he was leaning against the entryway. "Sagara, are you nuts? You got Kyoko almost killed protecting Kaname, and now you're willing to do it again? I thought you were more honorable then that!"

"The choice will be up to Kyoko, I will tell everyone the risks, but if the Americans do try something even those staying with us should be marginally safe. Only myself, Tessa, Kaname, and Sarah will be targets. I will likely be shot and killed and they will be kidnapped off to some research center in the United States." Sousuke sighed. "I do not want to see Kyoko hurt again, she is my friend as well."

"Ahem." The box that contained Al spoke.

"And Al… unless I scrap him first." Sousuke said.

"Perhaps an invigorating game of truth or dare is in order tonight." The AI stated. "Though lacking a body of my own I would find participating a bit difficult."

Ono-D shook his head and sighed. "You know Sagara, normally a slumber party is a single sex affair…"

"No reason we can't bend the rules a little." Shinji said. "It's not like we're a bunch of middle schoolers."

Onodera nodded. "I suppose you're right… plus Tessa in night clothes." The young man looked wistful for a moment. "Screw it. I'm game if it keeps her and Kaname safe."

The door to Kaname's bedroom opened with a thud and Kyoko and Kaname stepped out into the living area. Kaname was blushing furiously while Kyoko was grinning like a cat that had got the canary.

"Okay, we're ready… I think we'll be walking again. Think you can handle walking around doing some shopping Sarah?"

"Sure, sounds fun… not sure I got much money on me though…" Sarah said quickly.

"Sousuke can pay for it." Kaname said as she stopped by the entryway and pursed her lips. "Sarah… it's considered proper to remove your shoes on entering a Japanese home."

"Oh, sorry…" Sarah glanced at her feet.

"Gaijin!" Kyoko said with a wide grin. "Not a problem is it Sousuke?"

"As I said earlier, mistakes are common when placed in a foreign culture for the first time." Sousuke shrugged. "Shall we head out then?"

"Yeah, on the way we can call everybody and see who all wants to join in tonight." Kyoko grinned widely. "Mizuki… Ren-san, Maya, Shiori…"

"Kyoko, you don't mind if Ono-D and I stay too do you?" Shinji asked.

Kyoko giggled. "Kana-chan isn't going to kick Sousuke out… we'll figure out a way to handle you boys."

Kaname flushed brightly and glared at her friend. "Kyoko…"

"Sousuke, does Kana-chan still snore?" Kyoko asked.

Sousuke froze. _I'm doomed, Kyoko likes doing this to me doesn't she…_ "Uhh…"

Shinji snickered as Ono-D stared at his old friend in shock. "Sousuke, you dog!"

"Uhh…"

Al's robotic voice crackled to life. "Is the Sergeant sweating like mad?"

"Uhh…"

Kaname scowled. "I do not snore…" She glared at Kyoko to keep her from contradicting her. Her face was still flushed from embarrassment. "As for the other thing…"

"I'll save it for truth or dare then." Kyoko said with a wide grin.

Kaname scowled as the group headed out the door, grabbing their shoes as they went. Outside a set of low clouds had rolled in and a light shower had started. Kaname opened an umbrella and pulled Sousuke under it. "Wait… did you forget your phone again?"

"Affirmative." Sousuke blinked then ran back into the room to grab his phone before rushing back. I_ don't even have a rain poncho at the moment. I should have bought one last time we were out._ Sousuke sighed as he added that to his short shopping list.

"I would humbly request a Web—" Al's voice was cut off by the click of the door and Sousuke smiled.

"Sarah, did you think to install a mute on him?" Sousuke asked.

"Oops…" Sarah grinned.

"I'll meet you in Shibuya then." Ono-D said as he walked over to his car and sighed. "After I get an estimate on repairs…"

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 11:01 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Roof, Tigers Mansion Apartments**

Wraith slowly lowered her binoculars and sighed watching the group of teenagers walk down the street. _So Sarah is here now… great._ Wraith yawned and stood, checking the action of her SVD Dragunov. It was time to move to the next observation point en-route.

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 10:15 hrs<strong>

**Kingsford Smith Airport, Sydney, Australia**

**Terminal 1**

Tessa yawned as her carry-on luggage clattered across the floor behind her. In front of her Admiral Borda was walking swiftly with his cane, glancing nervously around the room to make sure the two of them were not being followed. Tessa still wore the TDD-1 cap despite its declaration of her affiliation to those that knew of the ship. After a few minutes the two of them came to the gate for the JAL flight to Tokyo and were led aboard.

Tessa nearly stumbled in the aisle as she squeezed between the seats behind the Admiral. She stifled another yawn before plopping down in one of the plush seats and stowing her luggage. With that done she was asleep before the plane had been rolled away from the gate.

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 11:40 hrs<strong>

**Yokota Air Base, Western Tokyo, Japan**

**1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta, Joint Special Operations Command**

The four men stood inside the handgun range of the base, each with a .45 caliber USP pistol in hand leveled at the line of targets at the end. They'd go through five hundred rounds of ammunition simply practicing their shooting.

It was one of the few things that they could do at the base, the facilities here were meant for aircraft and air force personnel. There were no fire rooms to use, no long range rifle area for the snipers in the unit, and very little meant for a Special Forces team. Still, it was better than some places they'd been stationed.

At a table behind the pistol range the two senior most members of the Delta Forces team leaned over a set of satellite photos across from the four helicopter pilots. Setting a large plastic cup down beside them filled with water, 'Boss' pulled out a red marker and circled a building just a few blocks from the Tama river near the Tennis Club.

"This is our objective, top floor, room four-oh-four. The newest intelligence we got says that we've got a probable Mithril operative as a guard and more ones on the way, Pentagon also expanded our mission a bit. The girl that blasted her way out of Alaska is now staying with our target."

"The more we're supposed to bring out the harder this will be." One of the pilots said. "Especially if we're both delivering and picking up you guys. We can handle up to four prisoners but that'll put us damn close to our maximum load."

"That's what I figured." Boss said. "Plan is thus… looking at the photos we've got of the building and the blueprints. An assault team will be delivered to the roof of the target building under ECS then proceed to the door. At the same time, half of team two will be delivered directly to the patio of the target apartment. That chopper will then orbit with the sniper team to provide counter sniper protection. Once we have seized the targets we will proceed to the tennis club for extraction."

"Sounds easy enough, what's the go code?"

"Go code is Pythia." Boss said. "I've sent the plan to approval up the chain of command. I don't expect approval for a few days or so… which could lead to complications if more people show up."

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 12:05 hrs<strong>

**Shibuya, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Ajisen Ramen**

It had been close to noon when the trained had pulled into Shibuya station, so their first priority had fallen back to lunch. Sousuke stared down at the bowl of noodles before him and sighed, the stress of the situation making him sweat and burn through calories as if he was in combat.

_Stress can be just as damaging to the body as hostile action… I need to find a way to ease it, to relax when the opportunity presents itself._ Sousuke nodded slowly. "Is there an operational plan for us or are we… winging it?"

"We're winging it." Kaname said as she poked at her bowl. "Ono-D should meet us in a bit, and Kyoko called Mizuki, Maya, Shiori, and Ren… So it'll be a pretty full house." Kaname sighed and leaned into her hand. "You did tell Kyoko that we're being targeted?"

"Yes, on the train ride over. I asked that she explain the situation to those she invites as well. I do not want civilians walking into our troubles unaware." Sousuke said.

"I'm surprised you agreed to this at all." Kaname said as she glanced at him.

Sousuke closed his eyes. "American doctrine strongly opposes risking civilian casualties. The more of your friends that are around you the less likely they will attack. They can't afford the diplomatic repercussions of civilian casualties."

Kaname scowled. "Ugh… Did you tell Kyoko and Shinji that bit?"

"Yes, Ono-D as well." Sousuke sighed. "Until Melissa and Kurz arrive we'll be extremely short handed, and you didn't say if they were bringing equipment. This is nearly as stressful as when the captain visited in school."

Kaname laughed. "Maybe it'll stop Tessa from sneaking into your bed."

"Perhaps I should try and find a set of handcuffs…" Sousuke muttered. The door to the restaurant opened and a longhaired Asian man stepped inside. Glancing at the polished surface of a napkin dispenser he watched him move to a seat and glance at a menu. "Speaking of danger… one of the operatives just walked in the door."

"I'm too tired to try and shake him off. Let the vultures watch." Kaname said running a hand through her hair. A second later the door opened again and Maya and Shiori stepped inside clad in spring sweaters and jeans they glanced around for a moment before Kaname waved to them and they walked over.

"Not everyone will be able to fit in the car Ono-D possesses." Sousuke observed. "Perhaps only you, I, and Ono-D should go pickup Tessa."

"Yes. Any particular reason I need to come with?" Kaname asked with a slight smile.

Sousuke swallowed down a lump and glanced at her. "Besides wanting you to be with me?"

Kaname blushed brightly and sighed, leaning against him. As her friends approached her blush deepened. Maya ran a hand through her long red hair and grinned at the other two like a shark who had just caught a hint of blood in the water. "Hey guys… look at the pair. The official class 3-4 couple finally together."

From down the bar Kyoko snickered and looked up from where she and Shinji were leaning over a computer at the group of girls before waving to them. "Maya, Shiori!"

"Uh huh… I can just imagine the interrogation we can give them and Tessa tonight!" Shiori said.

Sousuke broke out in a cold sweat as Kaname turned on the stool and gave a grin at her friends. As she turned her gaze flicked to the long haired man and an evil twitch ran along a brow. "Did Ky tell you about our possible problem?"

Maya and Shiori nodded.

"And you're okay coming despite that?" Kaname asked.

The two nodded again.

"Good, because one of the CIA guys is watching us right now." She jerked her head toward the long haired man. "So keep a look out, it's like trying to figure out if you've got a stalker."

"Really?" Maya glanced at the table and sighed. "Okay Kaname, we'll keep a look out." She snickered. "It's not like you don't have experience with stalkers…" Her gaze fell on Sousuke who continued to sweat buckets. "Or operatives…"

Shiori nodded. "Yep."

Kaname sighed and shook her head. "Nice to see you guys are so confident."

"Oh come on Kaname, it's not like they'd do anything with all of us there." Maya said and shrugged.

Sousuke nodded slowly. "It would do their country very little good to risk civilian casualties or provide witnesses to their action."

"See… your security expert says we'll be fine!" Maya grinned.

"Alright, fine…" Kaname sighed. "And he is right, the more friends I've got around the better."

* * *

><p>Shinji swallowed down a lump as Kyoko leaned over staring at the images on his laptop, her mouth gaping. "Wow… just, wow…"<p>

Shinji couldn't bring himself to speak as he stared at the images mouth open. After a few moments he managed to shake himself of the revelry and mouthed 'wow' before clicking the next button.

Kyoko rolled her eyes for a moment. "And to think she said 'Nothing happened?'"

"Would you go spreading this around Kyoko?" Shinji asked as he stared at the images including those of Captain Testarossa dancing and singing alongside Kaname. "Tessa really looks good in that uniform…"

Kyoko made a face. "Girls in uniform… you sure you don't want to join the Defense Agency?"

"Uhh… and do what, be a secretary? Pilots need to have 20-20 or better eyesight. Officers need a formal education, either at a college or the Officer training center. And have you seen how long it takes me to run a mile?" Shinji sighed. "Okay, maybe I exaggerate the last bit… a little."

"This is amazing though." Kyoko said as she went to the next image. "Kana-chan said she hoped there'd be enough pictures for us to fill up the scrapbooks."

"The stick is full…" Shinji said as he blinked at the pictures. "What submarine is this? I've never seen anything like it…" He tapped his finger against the table. "That hangar is like an aircraft carrier's and…"

"Well, you recognize anybody beside Tessa yet?" Kyoko asked as Shinji hit the next button again.

"Hmm, the officer with Tessa a lot of the time has got a cap from HMS Turbulent, that's a submarine in the Royal Navy…" Shinji shrugged then grinned. "Plus Weber-san and Mao-san." Shinji blushed slightly at the mention of those two. "Didn't they come with us to the hot springs?"

Kyoko nodded. "Yeah, so they're Mithril too… I met Kurz way before that. He tried to hit on Kana-chan for a while." She grinned. "I managed to get him pretty drunk. That was just a few days after Sousuke joined the school."

"Kyoko?" Shinji blinked and looked at her. "You got Kurz drunk?"

"Yeah, but he didn't spill anything." Kyoko sighed.

"Well, I know he's a sniper… he was packing some pretty high end stuff when we were at the hot springs…" Shinji felt his cheeks turn beet red and Kyoko pursed her lips and leaned toward him.

"What was he packing?" Kyoko asked.

"Uhh… a VSS Vintorez, it's a silence sniper rifle the Russians make." Shinji swallowed audibly and felt a bit of sweat run down his forehead. _Great of all the habits to pick up from Sagara-kun…_

"Shinji?" Kyoko asked.

"Uhh… It's nothing." Shinji said quickly.

Kyoko gave him a little knowing smile. "You didn't do something dirty did you… Like try and sneak into the girl's bath?"

Shinji froze, his eyes widening as he swallowed audibly. "How did you…"

"Mao-san said she and Sousuke had set up some stuff to keep anyone from peeking… We saw some explosions out on the mountain." Kyoko giggled. "That was you guys wasn't it!"

"I…" Shinji's head dropped in defeat. "I'm sorry Kyoko."

"Better pray I don't pick you in 'truth or dare' then." Kyoko said with a bright grin.

Shinji closed his eyes. Kaname brought that game back from America… apparently she played with her friends back there. Shinji knew of it, who didn't? With the number of American shows that were on television. He swallowed. _Pick dare… not truth with Kyoko._ He shook his head and sighed. "Okay… you're not mad?"

"No…" She giggled. "Not after Sousuke blew you guys up for trying."

Shinji let out a sigh of relief then straightened as he heard two girls walk up behind him. Turning around he looked up at Maya and Shiori. "Uh… Hi."

* * *

><p>"Kaname, please… you need to eat." Sousuke said quietly as he glanced over at the bowl of ramen noodles sitting before her which she had merely picked at. "Worry may lessen your appetite but if you don't eat…"<p>

"I know Sousuke." Kaname growled as she went to work on the bowl. _Damn him, always worrying about me… _She felt the flames of her anger die as he laid a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it lightly. Part of her was still surprised by his ability to offer her comfort, it hadn't been something he'd been good at and at times she had wondered if he'd really understood. A tired sigh slipped out of her lips and she glanced at him offering a timid smile that disappeared after a moment. "Will you ever get tired of worrying about me?"

"Negative." Sousuke smiled slightly. "Never."

She grinned and nodded. "Good." Then she turned back to her bowl of noodles.

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 13:28 hrs<strong>

**Near Hong Kong, International Waters**

**Nippon Cargo Airlines Flight 389**

Farzen Zalad yawned as the rumble of turbulence woke him on his back for the third time since the plane had taken off. Grumbling under his breath he pulled his pakul cap from the duffel that sat on a crate beside him and set it over his face like a sleeping mask. As the ride evened out he yawned again and folded his hands over his stomach. He'd be in Japan soon enough.

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 14:40 hrs<strong>

**Shibuya, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Takeshita Street**

"Hey Kana-chan… that guy is still following us." Maya said as she glanced over her shoulder and sighed. "I guess you weren't lying about being watched."

Sousuke flinched. He hadn't considered his old classmates still thinking him paranoid. _I should have remembered that._ He sighed. "The Russians have a saying… even paranoids have enemies. Considering my experience in Russia I must add… all Russians are paranoids."

Kaname nodded. "That's right. Your adopted father was Russian."

"Was?" Maya asked.

"He is dead." Sousuke said trying to retain his stoic mask. _Lieutenant Commander Kalinin… perhaps I was not paranoid enough._

"Oh…" Maya and Shiori said at the same moment. "Sorry."

Maya scowled and glanced over her shoulder again. "Hey Sousuke, I'll be back in a minute okay?"

Sousuke stopped and glanced back as the two girls turned toward the long haired man. _What do they think they're doing?_

* * *

><p>"Hey Mister!" The dirty blond haired girl with short hair called out as she approached. Her hands were on her hips. The CIA Operative stopped and blinked confused by the use of the English phrase and glanced over his shoulder.<p>

"I talking to you!" The girl said pricking his chest with a finger. "Stop following me!"

The man gaped in surprise and looked between the two girls. "I don't understand…"

The other girl with red hair scowled. "You following us since lunch! Hentai! Pervert! Deviant!" The second girl poked him with each accusation. "Get out of our sight or…" The red haired girl produced a small can from her purse and held it up at him.

_Oh shit is that…_ Before he could finish the thought a spray of aerosol burned into his retinas and his eyes watered, nose burned, and he closed his eyes. Then, a moment later he felt a flash of pain as the girl kneed him in the groin and he collapsed. In his earpiece a hushed voice began to ask him to report.

* * *

><p>"Awesome!" Shiori said as she gave Maya a high five and turned toward the rest of the group who stood there looking stunned. Sousuke stared wide eyed and then shook his head as Kaname continued to gape at the two of them.<p>

"Oh come on… who is more dangerous our classmate or random stalker dude?" Maya said as she pointed at Sousuke.

Sousuke shut his mouth and shook his head again turning toward one of the stores that Sarah was pointing too excitedly. Kaname blew at her bangs and grinned after a moment. "Nice job…"

"It is a good thing actual spies are not armed to the teeth like they appear to be in the movies." Sousuke observed quietly. _When did the girls start carrying pepper spray, I know it's easily obtainable but still…_

_Perhaps their brushes with danger did teach them something._

"Can someone translate what this tag says?" Sarah asked as she lifted up a shirt.

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 14:50 hrs<strong>

**Mithril Headquarters, Sydney, Australia**

**Hangar 1-A**

Melissa scowled as she dragged equipment out of the Humvee they'd managed to appropriate from the vehicle park and began to load it inside the waiting MV-22 Osprey. The crew had hosed down and cleaned the plane thoroughly since its short trip to Merida Island.

Kurz snickered. "God Melissa, is there anything left in the armory?" One of the crew laughed as he reached the Humvee and grabbed a pair of gun cases.

"You know Sousuke. He'll burn through whatever munitions we bring faster than anything…" Melissa sighed. "Plus, he probably doesn't even have a rifle right now."

"Yeah but he's staying with Kaname… would she even let him keep weapons like that in her apartment?" Kurz asked as he gestured to the rifle cases.

"I'll convince her if she says no." Melissa said quietly. "But I doubt I'll need to… not after the last year or so."

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 16:09 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 404, Mansion K Apartments**

Sousuke stumbled through the doorway, a set of bags in each hand followed by the rest of the group. Sarah giggled as she kicked off her shoes in the entry hall and sighed. "Kaname, you've got cool friends, a pity they're not that good with English."

"I'm okay!" Shinji protests as he slips out of his shoes. "My accent isn't that thick is it?"

Kaname laughed. "Its fine Shinji, I lived in New York so Sarah has another excuse why she can't understand me, New Yorker accent!" She hammered her chest then gave Kyoko a victory sign adding in an exaggerated accent. "I love New York!"

"Training Question: Is it possible for a female to love both a place and a person?" Al asked from the table.

"Uhh…" Sousuke said. "I do not know since I've never had that great an affinity to one place."

"Al, the answer is yes… and if you think Sousuke will beat your circuits to a pulp we'll just have to see what my harisen will do to your case." Kaname called out.

"Wait… Let me plug in this web camera so he knows who to run away from in fear." Sarah said with a grin as she pulled a box from her bags and started to open it.

"A web cam? That would be a great improvement." Al stated. "Unfortunately being an AI I lack pain receptors so it'd be difficult to discipline me with a piece of folded paper."

Sousuke's eyes widened and he stared at the box. _A piece of folded paper, I get the feeling this won't end well._ He glanced at Kaname giving a death glare at the small case, her harisen tapping her shoulder in irritation.

"A piece of folded paper?" Kaname growled. "Okay, that's it little box… I'll just grab a couple fridge magnets."

"Unfortunately my casing is hardened against EMP, making a magnet little threat." Al stated. "I made a mistake didn't I?"

"I have a pistol." Kaname stated.

"Affirmative, I apologize." Al stated. "A harisen is much more than a folded piece of paper."

"Good, it's nice to see you can learn." Kaname snickered then set down her bags while Kyoko set down a bag loaded with snacks beside them.

Grinning she pulled out three boxes of Pocky and grinned. "It'll be nice to have the boys here…"

"Ky…" Kaname said glancing at the Pocky with a frown. "We're definitely going to have to set some ground rules on this."

"Aww… but Kana-chan. It'll be fun." Kyoko said.

"You're just trying to get some nice pictures for that scrapbook, aren't you!" Kaname said quickly.

Sousuke sat and slowly shook his head, choosing to ignore most of the chatter coming from the two girls. Shinji sat down beside him and yawned. "It'll be a long night, won't it?"

"Affirmative." Sousuke stated. "Tessa will not be arriving until 20:00 hrs. If she slept on the plane she may be rather… awake most of the night."

"Good thing we got some caffeinated drinks then." Shinji said. "Even if Sarah will drink them all before she arrives."

"Hey! I had a long flight and got shot at today!" Sarah answered quickly before turning up her nose and marching to the kitchen. "I need more coffee… we engineers run on coffee."

"A very long night." Sousuke observed as he watched her by the kitchenette.

"Is Ono-D still mad about Kyoko?" Shinji asked.

Sousuke shrugged. "I am uncertain. It is often difficult to be certain when it comes to such things. I cannot blame him if he is. I failed to protect her, I failed to protect the school, and I failed Kaname… It will take me some time to make it up to them."

There was a crash as Kyoko dragged a large speaker system from the closet along with a monitor and microphone. Shinji's eyes widened. "Is that… a Karaoke machine?"

"Yep, Kana-chan used to have karaoke parties after finals…" Kyoko said as she dragged out the machine and plugged it in.

"All night karaoke parties!" Kaname said as she walked over to the machine. "Hmm… I used to have a laptop to run it too."

"Is the port a standard jack?" Sarah asked as she lifted a piping hot mug of coffee to her lips.

"Yeah." Kaname said as she glanced over the machine. "Why?"

"Al can be DJ." Sarah said with a grin, glancing over at the AI housing case.

Sousuke's eyes widened. _Al, as the DJ? I admit I'm not that familiar with the term, though Kurz did claim to do it a number of times._ He took a deep breath. "Are you certain that is a wise choice?"

_Kurz does not equal Al._

"Are you saying an AI is incapable of performing the role of a Disc Jockey?" Al asked. "Oh, and thank you for the optical systems Sarah, I must say Miss Chidori looks to be in a much better condition than last time I saw her."

"Hmmph!" Kaname stated as she turned up her nose. "Even an AI knows more about talking to a girl then Sousuke!" Maya and Shiori started giggling in the background.

"So you wish for me to compliment you on your 'condition'?" Sousuke wilted slightly then gave her a slight smile. "If I stated such things with a greater frequency, I would not be able to surprise you."

Kyoko dropped the microphone, which rolled across the floor and stared at Sousuke. "Was that?"

"A joke?" Shinji asked.

"It seems his humor systems have been upgraded while I wasn't watching." Al stated.

Kaname snickered. "He can joke on occasion now… baby steps hmm?"

"Kaname, how do the small steps of a child compare to my… oh…" Sousuke shook his head. "Nevermind."

"Wow." Maya said as she helped Kyoko with the Karaoke machine.

Shiori giggled. "He can learn."

Kyoko laughed. "Kana-chan, I'm going to go get some stuff from my house… and some clothes for tonight. I'm going to need some help carrying it back…"

"I could offer you a ride Kyoko." Ono-D said from where he sat near the room's entrance.

Kyoko shook her head. "No… It might be time for you to get Tessa when I get done. I just need an extra set of hands and a couple pictures."

Shinji suddenly straightened for a second and Sousuke glanced at him a bit surprised. "Uhh… I'll help you Kyoko." Shinji said grabbing his laptop case and heading for the door. "Plus, we've all got to get some stuff for tonight anyway, right?"

"Yeah, I suppose." Maya said before she shrugged. "I should go get my stuff packed and ready too."

Shiori nodded. "I do too."

"Okay, we'll see you in a couple hours maybe." Kaname said as the door clicked closed behind the retreating guests. She sighed and glanced around the living room. "Okay Sousuke, we need to get this place ready. Let's put your muscles to work."

Sousuke blinked. _What did that mean?_ Taking a deep breath he stood. "How can I help?"

Sarah picked up Al and walked over to the Karaoke machine, plugging the AI in. After a moment the stereos whirred to life.

"I must say, Miss Chidori has an interesting collection of music. Five decades of songs, over a hundred different artists… I must copy some into my hard drive after this." Al stated.

Kaname shook her head and smiled. "Your AI is starting to grow on me Sousuke…"

"I am afraid to admit he did on me after a while." Sousuke sighed.

"He likes me… amazing. I must record this in my operating log." Al stated.

"Anyway, we need to move a lot of stuff out of the living area so there will be room for people to lie down." Kaname said picking up a chair and setting it atop the table. Sousuke followed suite with another one.

"I assume we will also have to lay out sleeping mats and blankets?" Sousuke asked as he remembered the circumstances of the sleep over he'd had to keep Tessa in line.

"Affirmative." Kaname said lifting the last chair up on her side of the table as Sousuke mirrored her action. "Let's just push this into a corner out of the way. I should also think about getting some movies out for tonight." A little smirk appeared on her face. "And please when we're watching movies don't talk about it… unless…" The grin widened. "I wonder if Tessa would have commentary on _Hunt for Red October_."

"Uhh…" Sousuke blinked. "I am not sure, she is a naval captain though… who commands an ultra-quiet submarine. Excuse me… commanded."

"It'll be fun. Having them over may increase our safety so it's probably a good idea to enjoy it while we can." Kaname said. "Plus, since everyone just graduated there's no school and no work for them to do yet… so they may hang around much of the time tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Sousuke blinked for a moment then sighed. _One day at a time._

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 16:20 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 509, Lions Mansion Apartments**

"Good god, what the hell happened to you?" The blond haired CIA Operative asked as he spun around in the chair to face his senior colleague.

The long haired man shook his head and rubbed his still bloodshot eyes. "Two of the target's friends ran up and accused me of following them in English. When I said I didn't understand in Japanese one of them hit me with pepper spray while the other kneed me in the groin."

"Damn!" The blond said. "The information request finally came back… it's a doozy."

"Tell me later… I need to shower and try and get this crap off." The long haired man said heading for the bathroom.

"You can still hear me while you're in there, so I'll just read it to you." The blond said as he tapped the keys and brought up the information. "Okay, the new arrival… is Sarah Miller aka Mira Kudan. She's a Mithril rescue from a Siberian Whispered Research Center that Mithril took out. Worked out of the Alaska base and produced the ARX-8 Laevantein. Not much known beside that, some of the analysts think she may have lost much of her memory of events before she was abducted by the Soviets."

"Okay…" The other operative called out through the door.

"Captain Tessa is the Mithril Captain Teletha Testarossa, captain of the Toy Box and another whispered. Not much info on her besides whispered abilities." The blond smiled. "And finally there's the last one… our Mithril Operative. Sousuke Sagara, member of the Western Pacific Special Response Team, pilot of the ARX-7 and ARX-8, only Lambda driver user in Mithril. He's been on the radar since 1992 when he attempted to assassinate Ahmad Shah Massoud. He's an old breed Hawk of the soviets turned against them… his damn mercenary record is about a mile long."

"What the fuck! The kid is eighteen!" The other operative called out. "I saw them… he's not just some dumb bodyguard either, he's the God damned target's boyfriend."

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 17:33 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Tokiwa Residence**

Kyoko sat beside Shinji by her photo-printer rubbing her hands together as picture after picture came out of the machine. Beside her Shinji held up one of the photos to the Jane's Defense Weekly magazine and squinted. Two scrapbooks were balanced on her knees and she hurriedly moved the photos throughout, filling them as best she could.

A simple black and white silhouette was on the page of the magazine that with a little imagination would match the ship in dock. The ship called the TDD-1, the 'Toy box'. Smirking slightly he set down the picture and glanced at Kyoko.

"You think you can get them done before we head back?" Shinji asked quickly.

"I think so… though we should leave some space at the end of them… they've got another year full of memories to make before they graduate." Kyoko smiled at that. "Plus if we give these to them at the party, people can add comments like on a year book."

"That sounds like a great idea Kyoko…" Shinji said as he put away the magazine. "I'm going to need to stop by my house too you know."

"Oh, right." Kyoko blushed. "Why don't you run and grab your stuff while I finish this."

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 18:05 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Mikihara Home**

Mikihara Ren smiled faintly to herself as she picked up the backpack she'd dug out of the closet. It was rare for her to be invited to a party, in no large part because of her status. Most at school had considered her an idol, and some more knowledgeable of sorts knew her as the daughter of a Yakuza gang.

_Chidori-san has always been very kind extending invitations to me, a slumber party with Tessa-san. It has been so long since I was invited to anything such as that._ She ran a hand through her dark hair. _Yes, this will be fun… even with the boys present._ She had neglected to reveal that small detail to her father, along with the possibility that someone may be after Kaname.

She didn't want to worry him.

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 20:15 hrs<strong>

**Haneda Airport, Tokyo, Japan**

**International Terminal**

Sagara Sousuke took a deep breath trying to calm his nerves. He stood between Kaname and Ono-D at the gate for the plane waiting for Tessa. His security sweep had picked up the two suited men almost as soon as he had arrived and glancing over at them reaffirmed his suspicions. Both were clearly Japanese and wore the sort of formal suits that one often saw on bodyguards for prominent officials. He'd even caught sight of holstered pistols beneath each suit.

_I seriously hope they are not here for Tessa. If that is the case it'll mean that the Japanese Government has turned on us and Kaname and I will have to get out of country. Where could we possibly go with the American superpower hunting us?_

The dull thump of a cane echoed up the bridge to the plane and Sousuke leaned slightly to catch a glimpse down the bridge. He froze as he saw an elderly Caucasian man with grey hair and an eye patch. He leaned heavily against a cane. _Admiral Borda?_ He glanced at Kaname then returned his attention to the Admiral as the two suited figures stepped forward.

"Admiral Jerome Borda? We're from the Ministery of Foreign Affairs. We're to take you to a secured hotel. A meeting with the Minister is scheduled for tomorrow morning." One of the suited figures said.

"Very good." The Admiral said.

Sousuke swallowed a lump in his throat as a thump echoed down the hallway and he caught a flash of platinum hair just behind the admiral. Kaname snickered. "Must be Tessa."

"Affirmative." Sousuke said as he watched the girl pick herself up behind the Admiral. As the Admiral turned and offered a hand the two Foreign Affairs agents glanced at each other.

"Admiral, we were only told there would be only one guest. Is she with you?"

"No, she's meeting up with some friends in Tokyo… but she is a friend of my family back home." The Admiral smiled slightly as Tessa stood and adjusted her cap. "Come along, I think I heard them Tessa."

"Very well sir." The Foreign Affairs Agents said before gesturing toward the exit.

Ono-D stood on his toes to look. "Is she really coming?"

"Yes." Sousuke said as he felt sweat begin to bead on his forehead. _The Admiral is talking to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs…_ He sighed. "Come on Tessa…"

Kaname snickered as she saw Ono-D's eyes widen as Tessa walked out and smiled at the three of them. The TDD-1 cap she wore attracted his eyes for a long moment before noticing the flight coat she had over a T-shirt and khaki pants.

"Sagara-san, Kaname, Ono-D!" Tessa waved at them and hurried toward them, her luggage bouncing behind her. "It's so good to see you again!"

_Even out of uniform she looks military now…_ Sousuke shook his head trying to get rid of the thought. "Good to see you as well Tessa… How was your flight?"

"Long…" Tessa smirked. "But I slept through most of it…"

"Are you fully awake?" Sousuke asked remembering a particularly embarrassing incident on Merida Island.

Tessa blushed. "Yes, is Ono-D the one with the car?"

"Yes. I'll take your bags Captain." Sousuke said reaching out for the carry on. "Everyone is excited to have you back in country. Do you have any idea how long your stay will be?"

Tessa shook her head. "No… So Kaname, did you take my advice."

"Of course." Kaname grinned. "We called a lot of friends, it'll be packed. Mizuki, Shiori, Maya, Shinji, Kyoko, Ono-D, and even Oren-san will be coming. Al is going to be the DJ even!"

Tessa nodded. "Great! I'll finally get a chance to relax! Sounds like a full house."

* * *

><p>Down the terminal Farzen Zalad stepped out of a door labeled 'staff only' that led out onto the tarmac. Glancing around the airport he sighed and walked toward the nearest information desk. <em>Japanese is so difficult to read…<em> He thought to himself as he squinted at a series of signs and sighed. He was relieved that even here the Japanese script was supplemented with an English translation.


	18. Chapter 16: Set to Simmer

**Sword and Shield**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 16:<strong> Set to Simmer

* * *

><p><strong>Full House <strong>1. _n._ In the card game of poker, a hand that consists of three of a kind and a pair. 2. _n. _A situation in which the maximum capacity of a place is filled with people.

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 20:50 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 404, Mansion K Apartments**

Sarah Miller spun through the living area barefoot clad in her new nightclothes, humming in time with the classical music that filled the room. From the top of the Karaoke machine Al watched her, analyzing the motions of the Arm Slave designer.

_Perhaps motion capture analysis of this could be applied to my next chassis… if I get another humanoid chassis._

The music continued on, and Sarah reached up to the ceiling as she spun like a dervish. Snacks were set out on the kitchenette, both western and local examples including popcorn, wasabi peas, various crackers, pocky, and chips. Beside the snacks bottles of soda and juice sat alongside a huge thermos of coffee that Sarah had made for herself. On the other side of the snacks was a selection of pizzas and party trays. DVDs and VHS tapes sat stacked beside the entertainment center. Everything was ready.

The musical crescendo passed and Sarah bowed to the empty room and smiled to herself. Glancing over at the Karaoke machine she grinned. "How was that Al?"

"I am continually impressed by the flexibility and grace of the organic form and must view that at the moment at least Arm Slaves are merely a crude imitation." Al stated.

The door opened with a groan and Kaname walked into the room and kicked her shoes off. "Hi Sarah, anyone arrive while we were picking up the little captain?"

"Not yet, everyone ran home to get their stuff… of course you were the only ones with an actual vehicle." Sarah sat down cross legged on the blankets and grinned while Kaname, Sousuke, Ono-D, and Tessa stepped inside.

"There was no trouble on the pickup." Sousuke observed.

"For once." Ono-D muttered under his breath.

_It seems that the civilian Ono-D has some feeling of resentment toward Sousuke Sagara. Perhaps I will watch him to see if any reason for this reaction exists._ Al thought to himself.

Tessa glanced around the apartment and smiled. "It's much larger than the safe house was, isn't it Kaname?"

"Not really… it's just properly furnished." Kaname said with a smirk.

* * *

><p>Sousuke set his Glock 17 on the table beside the couch and sat down. Frowning slightly he picked up his rucksack and pulled out some plain white button up pajamas and padded over to the bathroom. The longer Kaname could keep Tessa distracted, the better.<p>

_I really don't want to hurt her, but she's always going to be my commander… I just can't see her the way she wishes I did. _Sousuke sighed and shook his head as he pulled off his clothes and began to change. _I did break the rules before though… a bodyguard isn't supposed to become attached to their charge. I've gone way beyond 'attached'._ He smiled faintly at that. _Best mistake of my life._

Pulling the pants on over his boxers he pursed his lips in thought. _I hope Melissa and Kurz bring a full load out, relying on just a couple pistols, my grenades, and a stun gun sounds like a truly absurd position to take. We're talking about Delta Force operators, one of the organizations on which the Mithril SRT was modeled._ He pulled on the shirt top and began to button it up as he glanced in the mirror. _If I only had some explosives… Kaname would kill me if I rigged a grenade trip line at the door, and it probably wouldn't be that effective… I need command detonated and shaped blast gear like claymores or SLAMs._

"Sousuke! Will you hurry up?" Kaname asked from outside the door. "Tessa wants to change."

"Almost finished." Sousuke said as he finished with the buttons and picked up his clothes then pulled open the door. Tessa stared back at him from the opposite side holding her luggage case. "Uhh…"

"Tessa, let him slip past you!" Kaname yelled and Tessa tried to jump out of the way. Unfortunately her foot caught on a blanket and she went down with a thud.

_At least the sleeping mats and blankets cushioned her landing. _ Sousuke thought as he sidestepped past her prone form and ran over to the rucksack and began removing his gear from the pants in his hands.

* * *

><p><em>Darn… I was hoping he wouldn't have a nightshirt.<em> Tessa thought to herself as she rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. _Why do I have to always be this clumsy?_ She sighed and pulled herself upright then hobbled through the door into the bathroom with her suitcase. Taking a deep breath she shut it behind her and stared at the mirror.

Dark circles hung beneath both of her eyes and she sighed and shook her head, the composed and loved figure of Captain Testarossa fading slightly as she looked away from the mirror. The last few days had been rough, filled with constant travel, mission prep, and work the likes of which she hadn't done before. She'd known intellectually how to check the equipment in a mission package and how to assemble a load out, but until a few days ago she'd never done it before. Taking a deep breath she shook her head and began undressing.

* * *

><p>Sousuke sighed as he sat back on the couch in his pajamas and closed his eyes. <em>This will be a very strange night, of that I am certain.<em> He glanced over at the table, which held his Glock pistol and combat knife along with a pair of flash bangs. _It'll be a trick to keep them in easy reach._

Kaname's bedroom door opened and she stepped inside clad in her blue and white striped pajamas. After she closed it behind her, she ran a hand through her long hair and smiled faintly at him before strutting over to the table filled with food opposite the couch.

"You want anything Sousuke? I'm sure we'll be plenty busy when the others arrive."

"Anything will be fine Kaname." Sousuke answered as he ran a hand through his hair nervously.

Kaname nodded and picked up a plate and began to load food onto it. "I'll just get you a 'variety pack' then." She glanced over her shoulder and gave him a smile.

"That is more than sufficient Kaname." Sousuke said. Before he could further explain the doorbell rang and he stiffened. Automatic responses coursed through his veins as he swiped the Glock from the table and headed for the door, chambering a round as he moved.

A slight smile played across his face as he saw Kaname shake her head slightly and grin at his actions. "I doubt it's the Americans Sousuke."

"Your safety is my greatest priority." Sousuke answered as he glanced out the peephole and arched an eyebrow before stepping back. "Miss Miller, did you order additional pizzas and drinks from another establishment?"

"Yep!" The redhead called from beside the karaoke machine. "I was really hungry!"

His shoulders slumped and he shook his head. "Very well." Then he quickly unlocked the door, opened it, and peeked out, checking both ways down the hallway before turning his attention to the delivery boy, staggering under the load of goodies.

"Three thousand yen." The delivery boy asked, his voice muffled from the load of pizza boxes.

Sousuke sighed and glanced over his shoulder and said in English. "Miss Miller, could you bring me my wallet, it's on the table."

"Sure." She answered.

As Sarah moved, Sousuke stared at the pile of pizza boxes, his mind going back to a story he'd heard in training. _Pizza boxes, oh right a New York SWAT team used a…_ He felt sweat begin to bead on his brow. …_a flash-bang inside a pizza box to disorient a number of terrorists before assaulting the hide out. This could be a similar situation._

"Sousuke, here." Sarah said beside him as she held out her wallet. She took a moment to breath in the aromas from the boxes. "Oh… smells good."

_Not good, if this is another false alarm…_ Sousuke took a deep breath and took the wallet, pulled two, two-thousand yen notes from the folds and handed them to the delivery boy. Slowly he took the small mountain of boxes from the delivery boy and stepped back into the room, kicking the door shut behind him.

Sarah stepped in front of him and grinned, closing her eyes as she breathed deep through her nostrils. Laden down with the boxes he couldn't stop her as suddenly she reached out to the top box and flung it open.

Sousuke flinched, squeezed his eyes shut, and looked away from the boxes expecting a bang and flash from a concealed bomb or stun grenade. When nothing happened, he slowly opened one eye and stared at Sarah Miller standing before him with a greasy slice of pizza in her hands and a long string of cheese running from her mouth to the slice. "What?"

"Nothing." Sousuke said, releasing a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and pushed his way past her. Sarah just shook her head as he passed.

_I guess there's nothing in these Pizza boxes then._ Sousuke thought with a shake of his head before setting them atop the tabletop. _Can't be too careful though._

* * *

><p>Kaname scowled slightly as Sousuke set the pizza boxes on the table. "More?"<p>

"Sarah ordered them." Sousuke said as he glanced at her carrying the plate full of food.

"Not a problem then…" Kaname said and gave him a smile. "Though by the time the others get here it might be cold."

"Cold food does not bother me." Sousuke stated.

Kaname just rolled her eyes. _Of course, cold food doesn't bug the sergeant._ She set the plate down on the table before the couch and grabbed a strawberry pocky stick from the pile of goodies before turning to him. "It might not bother you Sousuke, but not everyone has the same iron constitution you do."

"Affirmative." He shrugged. "Then we will simply have to warm it with the microwave."

Kaname slipped the pocky stick between her lips and rolled it like a cigarette to the side of her mouth. "Ugh, it makes pizza soft though…"

Another knock came from the door and Sousuke scrambled for his gun again, nearly tripping over a bedroll. Unable to help herself Kaname burst into a fit of giggles as she watched him stumble toward the door, just as Tessa stepped from the bedroom clad in a pair of boxers and a t-shirt.

The two collided, and Sousuke tripped over her landing in the entryway with a thud and sliding to the door on his face. A dull groan slipped from him as Kaname bent over laughing, forgetting about her pocky stick as it tumbled to the floor.

* * *

><p>Just outside the door Kyoko frowned and glanced at Shinji who was grinning slightly at the noise coming from the other side of the door. "Sounds like the party is starting without us?"<p>

"I hope Kana-chan isn't beating up on Sousuke again." Kyoko said as she lifted her hand to knock again. "She can be really hard on him sometimes."

"No harder than a drill sergeant, maybe that's why they're together?" Shinji chuckled.

The door clicked and Sousuke leaned out, glancing both ways before looking at the two of them, rubbing an already rapidly forming bruise on his cheek. "Please do not discuss me behind my back. It is not polite."

The laughter from inside the room continued as Kyoko leaned past Sousuke and bit her lip to stop from laughing as she saw Tessa sprawled out, her face alight with a blush while Kaname rolled on the floor continuing to laugh. When Sousuke's cheeks brightened into a blush as well Kyoko started snickering. "What happened in here?"

"Nothing, it's not a problem." Sousuke answered automatically and Shinji snorted.

"Uh huh." Kyoko said and shook her head. "Can we come in Sousuke?"

"Yes, I apologize." He answered stiffly before shuffling off to the side and allowing the two of them inside. Kyoko pushed past him and glanced around the living area noting the bed rolls spread out across the floor and the buffet table loaded with food and drinks for the night.

Shinji followed her into the room and slipped his backpack off and set it beside the door before bending down to remove his shoes.

Kyoko took the opportunity to reach into the backpack and pull out a pair of thick books from inside. "Well Sousuke, Kaname… I wanted to give you these for graduation but…"

Kaname rolled into a crouched position and stood up with surprising agility as Sousuke closed the door and turned to Kyoko, an eyebrow arched curiously at her.

She smiled back at him as she handed him one of the books. "I thought they'd make good gifts… our class has had so many memories, some good some… not so good."

Sousuke nodded slowly as he took the book and ran his hand along the cover before flipping it open. A gasp echoed in the foyer as Sousuke stared at the first page.

"Sousuke?" Kaname asked, stepping beside Kyoko. The two of them watched his eyes seem to quiver and turn glossy before he fell against the wall and slid to the floor, his eyes glued to the pages.

* * *

><p>Sousuke stared at the faces on the photograph, studying each in turn, remembering the names, the faces. Ahmad Shah Massoud, the Lion of Panjshir, had his head back with a huge smile plastered on his face. In the picture he was laughing. Across from him the clean shaven form of Zaied was wearing a knowing smirk. Sousuke shook his head and wiped away a set of tears that had run down his cheek. Turning the page he saw a picture of an old RK-92 Savage in the Cambodian jungle along with the rest of his old mercenary squad.<p>

Feeling his heart begin to clench in his chest he glanced at the next page and felt a smile slip across his face as he saw a picture of himself from that first day at school. Kagazaki Sensei was staring confused at a Steyr SPP while he stood beside her, straight at military attention. Right below the picture was a second image showing Kaname, her eyebrow twitching in irritation.

Along the margin were a set of notes in Shinji's messy hand and Kyoko's pretty calligraphy.

_You think it was love at first sight? - Shinji_

_Of course not! – Kyoko_

_P.S. – Or was it? : - )_

A smile slowly spread across his features and he glanced up at Kyoko. "Thank you. How… how did you find that picture at the front?"

"I found it online, took a little while to confirm it was really you." Shinji said. "You never told me you knew Massoud."

Sousuke nodded. "I knew him… I knew him quite well in fact." He stood and walked toward the couch, still flipping through the book. "I'll tell you about it later Shinji."

* * *

><p>Kaname watched him, biting her lip nervously. <em>I've never seen him like that before…<em> She glanced at Kyoko and arched an eyebrow. "What was that? I've never seen him like that before Ky."

"Just memories I guess." Kyoko answered with a faint smile as she pulled out the second scrap book. "You have lots too, you know."

"I guess, but not many as bad as his." Kaname answered before she glanced at the photo album. "Is that?"

"Yours? Yes." Kyoko smiled. "Why don't you go share it with Sousuke while we get changed into night clothes? Can I use your room?"

"Sure… sure…" Kaname smiled as she took the scrapbook and flipped it open. "Maybe everyone can sign it." She said as she watched Kyoko retreat into her room with the backpack.

When she turned back to the book her smile faded slightly as she glanced through the first few pictures from her first year at Jindai. There was the softball club, student government, and a dozen other club pictures coupled with snap shots of everyday living that Kyoko had caught in that first year. She slumped slightly at the sight of her, usually in the back standing half a head taller than the others. None of them seemed to have her smiling.

_I didn't ever think about that…_ She slumped against the wall and sighed. _Maybe my humdrum life wasn't all that great in the first place._ She felt a tear run down her cheek as she flipped through the pages. She stopped as she noticed a set of notes along the margin of one of the pages in Kyoko's curving hand.

_You really were driven that year Kana, but you were so serious! – Ky_

"Yeah…" She wiped away a tear as the next year of pictures began. They started out much like the last with Kaname in school clubs, at the mall with Maya, Shiori, and Kyoko, and working at the corner café for a bit more spending money. She smiled in the pictures but it always seemed to be half-hearted, as if only offering it up to placate her friends.

Then she came to a page that made her eyes widen. It wasn't a picture, though there was one on it, but a color copy of a formal document.

_Transfer notification…_

A smile slipped across her face as she glanced at the document reading each bit of information, even ignoring the name she knew who it was instantly. There was only one transfer student to Jindai that would have such an immediate impact on her. A new set of tears ran down her face as she saw the name listed as his guardian, though an alias, she knew instantly who it was. It was another war wound for Sousuke now, another scar on his battered heart.

Smiling despite the tears she turned the page and laughed at the close up shot that Kyoko had captured that first day of her mouth hanging open in confusion and disbelief at the strange boy who had brought a 'toy gun' to school in his satchel.

Kaname's heart fluttered a bit at the recollection of the events those first few days and she pushed off the wall and walked over to the couch and sat down beside Sousuke, setting her scrapbook on the table.

Just as she was about to flip to the next page, the doorbell rang again and Sousuke scrambled to the door, trying to move to the door as stealthily as possible despite the bedrolls and blankets all over the floor. Kaname smirked as she watched him move up next to the door and peep out then relax slightly then opened the door. "Hello, Ono-D, Ren, Shiori, Maya… Mizuki."

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 22:04 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 509, Lions Mansion Apartments**

The CIA agent behind the taps scowled as his fingers played across the keys, typing up the Romanized version of the names he heard as each one was announced. So far they just seemed to be ordinary civilian boys and girls, aside for the Shinji character… that one sounded like a bit of military person himself, but as he listened the CIA agent realized it wasn't professional knowledge the boy would spout on occasion but the sort of useless information that a nerd or military fan boy would possess.

After a moment the agent stopped and stared at the list of names.

_Shinji ?Kazama?_

_Kyoko_

_Shiori_

_Mizuki_

_Maya_

_Onodera (Ono-D?)_

_Ren_

"So what's going on?" His partner asked as the man set a small case of beer beside the receiving instruments. "Anything useful?"

"Not really… sounds like just a bunch of high school students, a bit juvenile at times but then I remember doing stuff like that in college." The agent shook his head and leaned back. "Though the whole thing the targets talked about this morning kind of shows they're not just ordinary kids… using their friends as human shields? That is a nasty move."

"Well, they can't stay there all the time… the delta guys will get their chance." His partner answered before setting into the chair beside him. "What they up to now?"

The CIA agent smirked. "Truth or Dare."

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 22:19 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 404, Mansion K Apartments**

"So let me see if my understanding is correct." Sousuke said as he glanced around the room at the assembly of friends. "The objective is to make a group of people closer friends through the sharing of secrets and embarrassing moments?"

Kaname nodded. "Uh-huh!"

"And that to participate in the game one must answer truthfully when choosing a truth or take a dare and embarrass themselves." Sousuke frowned. "Captain… how—"

"Just Tessa, Sousuke." Tessa said from Sousuke's other side.

"Understood, Tessa… are you thinking it would be prudent to allow Kaname's friends to ask questions that may force us to reveal classified information?" Sousuke said, his tone clearly indicating a hesitancy to reveal anything.

Kaname squeezed his arm and sighed. "Sousuke, after you told them everything already when you left to find me… would not telling them stuff now help anything at all?"

"No." Sousuke said. "I suppose it would not."

Tessa sighed. "Command was quite angry with you, but then going AWOL to find her didn't help either. It would do no good to hide anything from them now."

Ren nodded slowly and glanced up at them as she folded her hands in her lap. "I am quite capable of keeping a secret if required, and able to ensure the information revealed here is not spread without… repercussions."

Ono-D blanched and a number of the other girls turned pale. Kaname's face twisted into a cruel smirk as Tessa glanced at Ren looking a bit confused. "I don't understand…"

Sousuke sighed. "I thought you read my reports Tessa-san. Ren-san is the daughter of one of the local Yakuza group bosses."

"Oh… the Bonta-kun incident." Tessa said, and then giggled. "Now I remember!"

Ren blushed and glanced back down at the table as Kyoko and a number of the other girls glanced at her looking confused before a feral grin appeared on Kyoko's lips. "Bonta-kun incident? Sousuke! Is this about that time in the park?"

"Kyoko!" Kaname growled. "You were there?"

"I invited Sousuke along, he… he was worried about you Kana." Kyoko's grin widened. "How does Ren know about Bonta-kun?"

Sousuke glanced around the group. "Are we beginning play?"

Suddenly Ren's eyes went wide and she glanced at Sousuke. "Wha…?"

"Yes, we are." Kaname said with a grin. "And Kyoko asked the first question… or do you want a dare Oren-san?"

"I… I will answer." Ren blush deepened. "My father runs the Mikihara group, a yakuza. The Sengawa district lies within Mikihara territory and a rival group was moving in. Chidori-san was with Sagara-kun and me when we witnessed one of our group's band of enforcers beaten in a street fight. After the fight one of the enforcers recognized Chidori-san, I sense there was another story behind that." Ren glanced at Kaname who blushed faintly but didn't seem to notice that Sousuke's cheeks had heated up as well. "He begged Kaname to contact a friend of hers he knew only as 'Bonta-kun'."

"He threatened me before I said I could summon him." Kaname nodded with a wicked grin and Sousuke's cheeks heated up even further and he saw that Ono-D was smirking.

"Yes, well you agreed to have him help train our enforcers." Ren said. "I do remember that he made quite an impression on my father."

"A sword is only as dangerous as its wielder. Your father was ill and not trained in combat techniques of the caliber… Kaname's friend had learned." Sousuke said.

"Yes well, once that happened he agreed to have 'her friend' train the enforcers. From what I saw it was rather brutal, but then he did teach them things that I had never considered." Ren sighed. "At the same time the enemy was escalating its pressure on my family, and then they decided to take me hostage in order to force my father to withdraw the group from the area. They managed to catch Chidori-san at the same time."

"They never learn, there's one person in Chofu you don't want to kidnap!" Kaname said with a bark of laughter.

"Bonta-kun organized a rescue mission that used a bunch of Bonta-kun mascot suits with body armor, guns, and some explosives. They blew through the headquarters of the rival group and got us out. The leader of the group tried to use Chidori-san as a human shield." Ren slowly shook her head. "He took a rubber bullet to the head and collapsed. It turned out the other bonta-kuns were the enforcers he'd trained. That, is I think what Tessa was referring to as the 'Bonta-kun incident'." Ren said before smiling faintly. "Miss Tokiwa, truth or dare?"

"Truth!" Kyoko said with a grin.

"How do you know Bonta-kun?" Ren asked.

"You know him too. You just don't know it yet." Kyoko smirked and leaned back in the chair. "Anyway, the whole story began like this. It was a nice day and Kana and I were talking at the Sengawa station, she'd been feeling a bit down because of a certain sergeant."

Sousuke's attention immediately riveted on Kyoko, he hadn't heard this bit before.

"I told her she always looked happy when he was around, but she said she was tired of all the trouble. She was really moping and feeling sorry for herself, I think the stress of having to tell the principal about three or four explosions a week was getting to her. Anyway, when we got on the train she saw a guy that was her senior in middle school… what was his name? Fuwa?"

Kaname nodded and sighed. "Yeah, it was Fuwa."

"Anyway, they sort of exchanged numbers on the train and later she agreed to go with him on a date to Fumo-Fumo Land." Kyoko glanced at Sousuke. "But… she started acting strange, kind of guilty I think."

Kaname's cheeks turned rosy as she looked down at the table.

"Sousuke noticed something was wrong and well… he asked her if something was wrong, but her reaction just made him more him more suspicious. You know Sousuke tends to go a bit overboard when he's suspicious… anyway, I knew about the date so I sort of suggested he come along with me on a 'stake out' at Fumo-Fumo Land." Kyoko snickered as he saw Kaname's brow furrow at her. "Anyway, we had an interesting day following them around… and I reigned Sousuke in a bit to keep him from interrogating Fuwa-senpai. Around lunch I think Sousuke figured out what was going on… he suddenly started sweating and mixing up his words, almost talking non-sense. I think it hurt him when he realized it was a date."

"I'm sorry." Kaname whispered and grabbed Sousuke's arm squeezing it affectionately.

_I really was a mess then, I'm not sure what I would have done if the Yakuza hadn't showed up._

"We were about to leave when these three yakuza walk up to Kana and Fuwa and start complaining about the two of them getting 'lubby-dubby' in the middle of the day. Well, one of them was drunk and Kaname just won't take anything from anybody so she stood up and told off the yakuza. Fuwa is sitting there trying to get her to back down and Sousuke is half in a panic seeing this, and he's getting ready to jump out and save them. I told him if he did Kana would know we followed her, and just that moment one of the Bonta-kun mascots walked past…"

"No…" Ren said, her soft voice suddenly breaking into a little giggle she tried to hide with her hand.

"Yep, Sousuke stole it from the guy and went running to the rescue, and the legend of Bonta-kun was born!" Kyoko laughed. "The park security people chased him all day after that!"

"I knew it was you!" Kaname said with a bark of laughter. "A Bonta-kun with a shotgun, rescuing me, come on!"

"It has served me well since then." Sousuke said and felt a faint smile slip across his face. "I believe we could fill the whole night talking about our adventures, but I believe its Kyoko's turn to ask someone truth or dare."

Kyoko grinned as she sat cross-legged on the sleeping mat. She tapped her chin and gave a predatory smirk. "Hmm…"

Shinji started sweating nervously as her gaze flicked to him and she ran a hand through her curly hair. It was one of the few times the group had seen her hair outside of its normal pigtails. Her gaze flicked across the others and her smile grew as she saw a few of the others glance nervously around the simple circle.

"Sousuke, truth or dare?"

Shinji let out a sigh of relief as Sousuke glanced at Kyoko a bit surprised. "I believe I will take a truth."

"Were all your absences due to going on missions?" Kyoko asked.

"Affirmative, aside for a few instances where I was ill." Sousuke shrugged as if it was no big deal. The other girls from the school glanced at him in surprise realizing that there'd been even more to their classmate then he'd told earlier. "I believe it is my turn now. Al… truth or dare?"

The circle glanced at each other as Sarah grinned. A moment later, a voice emerged from the Karaoke machine. "Truth, I am physically incapable of taking a dare at the present time."

"Do you enjoy driving me crazy in combat?" Sousuke said.

"I am an artificial intelligence so I am uncertain if I am capable of enjoying anything, however considering the actions I have witnessed when other organics engage in activities they enjoy, I must say… Yes. I do."

"Figures." Sousuke said.

"Your mental readouts suggest that you enjoyed our… banter as well." Al stated. "Miss Chidori, truth or dare?"

Kaname blinked for a moment then pursed her lips for a moment. "Truth I guess…"

"How long have you had feelings for Sergeant Sagara?" Al asked.

Kaname's face burned bright red as she glanced at Sousuke. "Umm…" She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I… I think, I really… Since… since… I'm not really sure… maybe the hijacking incident?"

Sousuke's mouth fell open and he looked at her. "Since then, but…"

"You were out of control Sousuke… I had to keep you from blowing up the school and my duty as class rep and… I was mad at myself for liking you and took it out on you." She closed her eyes and sighed. "I'm sorry Sousuke."

"It's not a problem. I would be unable to answer that question much differently." Sousuke smiled slightly. "I wasn't very good at understanding my feelings. Sun Tzu was right, it is best to know yourself."

"Now… it's my turn." Kaname grinned deviously and glanced amongst her friends. "Tessa."

The platinum haired girl swallowed back a lump in her throat as she saw all eyes turn on her. "Uh… Truth?"

"Could you explain to everyone here what your 'special relationship' with Sousuke really was about?" Kaname grinned as Tessa blushed.

"Uh… well… you see…" Tessa let out a sigh. "Sousuke was assigned to the Western Pacific Special Response Team aboard the submarine of the Tuatha De Danaan. I was Sousuke's commanding officer and our relationship never developed beyond friendship…"

"And an unrequited crush." Kaname added.

"Yes…" Tessa said quietly.

Mizuki snorted as Shiori and Maya swoon melodramatically and then let out a burst of giggles. Ono-D glanced at Sousuke. "You dog!"

"I fail to see what canines have to do with the situation." Sousuke stated. "Moreover… she was my commanding officer. I follow the rules when it comes to fraternization… usually."

"Usually?" Kaname asked, her eyebrow twitching.

Sousuke swallowed. "It's also against the rules to become attached to one you've been assigned to guard."

Kaname blushed brightly and put her hand to her mouth. "Oh…"

Ono-D and Shinji laughed as Tessa grinned. "Now… who should I pick?" She tapped her chin thoughtfully and grinned. "Hmm… such a hard choice." She set the empty bottle of pepsi down in the middle of the circle and spun it.

Kaname looked worriedly at the bottle. She knew of another party game that used them, and she really didn't want Tessa to bust open that can of worms.

The bottle slowed to a stop pointing square at Shinji who stared at it as if it was a loaded gun. Tessa giggled. "Shinji… truth or dare?"

"Uhh… I… I…" His gaze flicked over to Kyoko then back to Tessa. "I'll take a dare."

"Okay… that's a hard one." Tessa pursed her lips for a moment. "Suggestions?"

Kyoko shook a box of pocky and grinned. "Make him eat pocky with somebody."

"That's a good one… so long as the other agrees to it." Tessa grinned wickedly. "How shall we choose the recipient?"

Sousuke glanced at Kaname. "I don't understand… how is eating pocky a suitable dare?"

"Just wait…" Kaname said, trying to decide if she should allow this.

"Spin the bottle!" Maya said gesturing to the plastic bottle in the middle of the group.

Tessa giggled again and glanced mischievously at Shinji who had rapidly turned a sickly shade of white. "That sounds like a good idea." She spun the bottle again and watched it.

"If it lands on you Sousuke, refuse to do it." Kaname whispered in his ear.

All eyes followed the spinning piece of plastic as it slowed and stopped. Another burst of laugher echoed in the room as Kyoko stared at the bottle cap, her eyebrow twitching. "Typical…"

Kaname snorted and couldn't help but take advantage of the situation. "Go on Kyoko… you suggested it!" Kaname said as Maya and Shiori nodded their agreement. Tessa giggled at the mischief her round had already caused while Sousuke watched the color drain from both of their faces.

Ren smiled serenely at the two. "They are correct. One should not dole out such suggestions unless they are willing to do them as well."

"Okay…" Kyoko said, her voice barely a whisper as she scooted over toward where Shinji sat, still shocked.

Eyeing Shinji for a moment Ono-D smirked. "We may need a bucket of water or something. He looks like he's about to faint."

Chuckles echoed around the room as Kyoko sighed and pulled a chocolate pocky stick from the box. "Sorry Shinji."

"It's okay…" He swallowed his voice cracking and barely a whisper. "Let's… let's just get this over with."

* * *

><p>Shinji felt his body shake as he put the pocky between his teeth. Sweat began to run down his brow. <em>This is bad, I didn't think… I thought Tessa was nice! <em>He swallowed another lump in his throat as Kyoko bit the opposite end, her gaze locking on his. _It had to be Kyoko…_

He blinked as a bead of sweat ran down into his eye and stung. His pale face suddenly burned as Kyoko smirk slightly with the pocky in her mouth. _Was she hoping…? I don't understand… now I know what Sagara-kun feels like most of the time._ She blushed as she noticed the bright pink on his cheeks.

_Don't cry… don't cry…_ His mind repeated as Kyoko nibbled on her end of the pocky stick. Around them the group watched and Kaname gave an evil little smile. _The embarrassment is going to kill me._

"Shinji, you're supposed to eat it with her, if you don't we'll just have to do it again!" Kaname said.

_But…_ Shinji closed his eyes and took a bite. His taste buds had turned off and he felt his hands grow clammy. He could hear the pokkin of the stick each time Kyoko nibbled off a little bit. Opening his eyes he almost jumped seeing Kyoko's face mere centimeters from his own, a pair of sweat beads of her own running down her forehead. The crowd was leaning forward anxiously watching the pair. _Uhhh… _His mind went blank as her eyes focused on his and he felt her breath through her nose against his face. _This is almost as bad as…_

He felt her lips on his in that moment and froze, his eyes widening and body stiffening as if a shot of electricity ran through him. Then the world around him went dark.

* * *

><p>Kyoko opened her eyes and blinked as Shinji fell backwards. Blushing brightly she looked down at him and suddenly felt a flash of panic. "Shinji!"<p>

Sousuke stood and stepped over beside his friend before leaning down and checking his vitals. After a moment he shook his head and glanced at the girl with glasses. "He's fine Kyoko, he just fainted."

A burst of laughter came from the girls as Ono-D shook his head and clucked his tongue. "Wow Kyoko, I didn't know you were that good a kisser."

Kyoko put her hand over her mouth and felt her cheeks burn scarlet from embarrassment. She glanced down at the prone form of her friend. _I'm sorry Shinji._

"I'll go get some smelling salts." Kaname said as she stood up and headed for the bathroom, stepping over her friends. "He's it when he wakes up, so you better be ready Kyoko!"

Shinji twitched on the floor and his eyes fluttered open. "Sugoi…" He shook his head and looked up at Kyoko who was now blushing furiously.

"Are you okay Shinji?" Kyoko asked.

"I… I think so. What happened?" He said glancing around the group. A bark of laughter echoed amongst the group.

Mizuki grinned. "So Kyoko kisses good enough to cause memory loss?" That statement only stirred up the laughter further as Kaname stepped out of the bathroom with the smelling salts and set them on a table.

Shinji was now beet red once again and Tessa grinned. "If you don't remember maybe you should do it again…"

"No!" Shinji and Kyoko called out at the same time. Kyoko glanced over at Shinji's panicked face.

"Well, this means it's his turn." Ono-D leaned down and whispered in Shinji's ear. The military otaku froze and seemed to shiver for a moment before glancing over at his friend.

"Are you sure…?" Shinji asked and Ono-D just nodded. "Okay, Kyoko…" Shinji flushed brightly and refused to meet her gaze. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth I think…" She said with a sigh of relief.

Shinji swallowed and asked his question in a whisper that sounded almost like the squeak of a mouse. "You were hoping that would happen, weren't you?"

"What? No!" Kyoko's bright red face told a different story and the girls all grinned at her. "No… I…" Kyoko's voice turned desperate before dropping to a mere whisper. As she gazed down at the blankets she admitted the truth as a whisper. "Yes…"

"I got a dare for Shinji now…" Mizuki said. Maya and Shiori nodded as if they had just been given a huge birthday present.

Ren smiled sweetly. "Yes… I can see many doors opening with that information."

_Oh no…_

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 23:19 hrs.<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Roof, Tiger Maison Apartments**

Wraith popped open a can of iced coffee as she leaned against the air conditioning unit. Hidden beside it was a microwave receiver for some of the bugs and listening devices that Mithril had installed ages ago. She smirked slightly as she listened in on the conversation. _We didn't have slumber parties in North Korea, hell we didn't have enough food to go around till we started working for the party._ She ran a hand through her hair and sighed, despite the hell that Kaname had gone through and the continuing threat of kidnapping that hung over her like a sword of Damocles she felt pangs of jealousy for her upbringing and lifestyle run through her as she sunk beside the air conditioner and adjusted the plastic cover around her rifle.

_I still can't complain though, as rough as it is guarding her and sergeant sabotage… At least I'm not the one being hunted down for stuff in my brain._ She yawned as the light rain continued to dribble down around her and she sipped at the coffee again. _Plus, her life makes for a great reality show… except this one is real._ She snickered at that thought and finished off the coffee can. With a sigh she set it down beside the air conditioner to catch the rain.

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 23:34 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 404, Mansion K Apartments**

Kaname grinned as Kyoko called on Sarah. So far, the girl hadn't been brought into the game much being the newcomer and a relatively quiet person to boot.

"Okay Sarah, truth or dare…"

The redheaded girl with curly hair pursed her lips for a moment. "Umm… truth."

Kyoko tapped her chin for a moment and pursed her lips. "Well, umm… since we don't know much about you… how did you meet Sousuke?"

Sarah blinked then nodded. "Okay, well… it was two years ago, around mid-march of 1998. I had been taken by the soviets to a research center in Siberia. I…" She glanced down at her hands. "I don't remember much of anything before that, just flashes. They said the drugs the Soviets used caused long-term memory loss… I… I couldn't even remember my name by the time Mithril found me. I was whisked out of the center and the Russians gave chase, sending out attack helicopters. We were in a UAZ, basically a Russian jeep, and a Hind hit the road in front of us with a missile. The jeep rolled and I was ejected into the snow in nothing but a medical gown. The operative that had gotten me out was killed, the jeep's cabin smashed in crushing him."

She glanced at Sousuke. "Then the hind came around for another pass and an anti-tank dagger smashed into the side of the monster. It started falling toward me and an M-9 rushed up and grabbed hold of it, rolling it over its shoulder and tossed it into the snowfield." She swallowed. "Then the M9 turned toward me and the canopy opened. The pilot stepped out with a briefcase while other M9s showed up. He had a tranquilizer and I asked him his name…" She smiled slightly and glanced at Sousuke. "It was Sousuke."

"Kurz bragged to the whole submarine about me taking down that Hind." Sousuke shook his head and smirked. "I've destroyed many more since then."

"He gave me the tranquilizer and I woke up in Mithril hands." She closed her eyes. "The records their agent had gotten out of the base gave me a name… it's not one I've used much since I remember so little of my life before." She smiled slightly. "Sarah Miller is really an alias that Mithril provided, but I've grown rather fond of it. My real name is Mira Kudan."

Sousuke blinked. "An ironic name for a designer of Arm Slaves."

"Sousuke?" Kaname asked.

"Mira is the Russian diminutive for Mir… it means peace." He said running a hand through his hair. "I am more than proficient in the Russian language."

Sarah smiled. "You can call me either name. They are both as much me."

"Who wants more food?" Mizuki called out as she scrambled upright and headed for the counter. Ono-D scrambled to beat her to the servings as the others laughed before following suite.

As the food and drinks began to disappear the group returned to the floor and resumed the circle. Kaname sat with a pocky stick hanging from her mouth as she glanced around the group and felt a swelling of affection for those here, her friends who had stuck with her through the maddening year with Sousuke in class, and then there was Sousuke… He'd come after her, going through a hell she had only heard hints of.

"I think it's my turn to call someone." Sara said as she glanced around the group. "Uh… Mizuki right?"

Mizuki blinked once then nodded, glancing nervously around the circle.

"Truth or dare?" Sara said, a smirk playing across her face.

"Please…" Mizuki seemed to be delighted. "I'll take a dare!"

"Okay… turn your clothes inside out." Sara said and shrugged as she glanced around the circle. There were a few snorts of amusement but nothing really major.

Mizuki scampered to the bathroom for a moment and then returned with her button up pajamas clearly reversed. She made a face as she sat down. "Buttons feel funny…" Then she brightened. "Oh… it's my turn now. Kazama, truth or dare?"

Kaname caught Kyoko giving Shinji a warning look as the bespectacled glanced between Mizuki and Kyoko like a cornered animal. "Uh… uh… dare!"

_Why is he doing dare again, is there some embarrassing secret Kyoko knows?_ Kaname thought as she glanced at Kyoko rolling her eyes.

The snicker and cackle that slipped from Mizuki as she rocked back and forth on bed rolls turned Shinji white. Seeing his expression Maya and Shiori immediately spoke up. "Don't worry Shinji, I'm sure Kaname will keep it from being too bad."

"That's right!" Kaname agreed immediately.

"Oh, she'll let me ask this… it'll probably do Shinji some good." Mizuki said with an impish grin. "Shinji, I dare you to ask Kyoko out."

Kaname fell sideways and hit the floor with a thud before beginning to snicker. She felt Sousuke's worried eyes on her as the rest of the group began snickering and goading Shinji and Kyoko. "Kaname?" Sousuke asked quietly.

"I'm fine!" Kaname said still shaking with mirth. "Do it Shinji!"

Shinji's face was as red as it had ever been in Kaname's presence. He took a deep breath and glanced at Kyoko, his body beginning to shake with fear. "Ky… Ky… Kyoko, wi… will you go out with me!"

"Do you honestly want me to or is it just because of a dare?" Kyoko asked as she shot a glare over at Mizuki.

"Honest…" Shinji squeaked.

"Then the answer is yes." Kyoko grinned at Shinji. Instantly there was a smattering of applause and Ono-D clasped Shinji on the shoulder and grinned at him.

"Great job Kazama!" Ono-D said as he saw the boy beginning to wilt. "Get the smelling salts again, he looks peeked!"

"I'm okay…" Shinji said quietly before looking at Kyoko and grinned. "Actually, I'm more than okay."

"Finally." Kaname said as she sat up from the floor.

Shinji grinned, "Now… it's my turn… Maya…"

The game slowly petered out as its participants lost interest or fell victim to exhaustion. Kyoko guided Kaname to a sleeping bag close to the balcony and Kaname knew it was to keep her friends from knowing just how close she'd gotten to Sousuke in the last few days. As Kaname laid down she wrapped her fingers lightly round the pistol grip of her stun gun and sighed. The lights clicked off after a moment and slowly the group began to fall asleep.

* * *

><p><strong>28 March 2000, 02:05 hrs<strong>

**100 km North of Okinawa, East China Sea, Pacific Ocean**

**Mithril MV-22 Osprey **_**Seadancer**_

Melissa Mao starred out the back of the MV-22 Osprey looking down at the black ocean. The sky was filled with stars in a way that could only happen in the midst of the ocean, far from land. Sighing she glanced at her watch. "We'll have to land somewhere in Kyushu in a couple hours."

On the bench opposite her Kurz Weber nodded once. "It'll be nice to stretch our legs for a-while… damn plane is too loud for me to sleep much."

"I hate tilt-rotors… You'd think they'd have found a way to quiet them like the helicopters we use… but no." Melissa sighed. "I wish we could have gotten a commercial flight, but then we wouldn't be able to haul all this crap." She kicked the box between them filled with munitions and took another pull from her cigarette. "Any news from Tessa or Sousuke?"

"Nope, not that I expected any." Kurz shrugged. "We'll be able to give those two love birds a nice wakeup call."

Melissa chuckled. "That sounds like a plan."

* * *

><p><strong>28 March 2000, 03:11 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 404, Mansion K Apartments**

Kaname woke with a jolt, sweat coating her back and running down from the brow. She blinked in the dark of the living room and sighed. Her hands shook lightly and she scowled at them. Letting out a growl of frustration she clenched her fist and let out a sigh of relief as the shaking stopped. She closed her eyes and sighed before slipping out of the bed roll.

_Damn it, can't even sleep without him for a night… when did I get this pathetic?_ Grumbling to herself she stood and looked toward the kitchenette and glanced down at the maze of sleeping figures between her and a glass of water.

It was late and the food, drinks, and conversation had been completely exhausted. The guests were curled up in the sleeping bags that had been strewn about the room. Shinji and Kyoko had laid down in sleeping bags beside each other and had chatted quietly in whispers until they'd fallen asleep, but apparently both tossed and turned in their sleep. Now the two of them were practically snuggling against each other despite being in separate sleeping bags.

Kaname smirked to herself as she stepped clumsily over the two and struggled to keep quiet. She stopped as she saw Kyoko's camera clasped lightly in her sleeping hand between the two of them. A giggle slipped out as she leaned down and slipped the camera from her friend's grasp and stood over the two of them. She snapped a picture of the two's sleeping faces and smiled.

_Night terrors I don't even remember waking me up… where'd Sousuke sleep anyway? He'd want to be in a… Oh… of course, the one closest to the door._ She rolled her eyes as she stepped gingerly over Maya and glanced at Sousuke's sleeping form a few meters away. In the dim light she could make out both the Glock 26 and 17 lying beside the bag pointed toward the door, his hand just centimeters from being able to unleash a volley of death and destruction.

Kaname sighed as she stepped up to the sink and poured herself a drink of water. Still sweating from the nightmare, she ran the glass of cold water along her forehead and sighed. "Damn… I didn't have any trouble till he came back…" She closed her eyes and sighed. "Hell with it, it's not like I don't take flak for being a 'proper' Japanese girl already."

"Kaname?" Sousuke's voice echoed in the kitchenette and Kaname jumped, nearly gagging on her water.

Coughing to clear her throat she spun on her heel and sighed. "I thought you were asleep."

"I was, but I sleep very lightly." Sousuke said as he stepped to her, a pistol in his hand. "Why are you still awake?"

"Nightmare." Kaname said quietly hugging herself and turning away, embarrassed that something like that could keep her up.

"I understand, I have them quite often." Sousuke sighed. "You must sleep… you're safe here, I wouldn't let anyone hurt you."

"I know…" She sighed and set her water glass in the sink. _Just say it… dancing around the issue is useless._ "Sousuke… do you mind if I join you?"

"Uh… no Kaname, if you think it'd help." Sousuke glanced nervously at the cluster of bodies in the sleeping bags. "The bag is a bit small…"

"Thank you." Kaname whispered before kissing his chin. Sousuke straightened as if hit by a jolt of electricity for a moment then relaxed.

Sousuke padded back to his sleeping bag and pulled it fully open. Careful not to wake the others, Kaname laid down and Sousuke settled beside her and whispered. "Kaname, I have to face the door… you know the danger."

Kaname just nodded and wrapped her arms around his stomach and leaning against his back with her nose brushing against his wiry and wild hair. Breathing through her nose the smell of her shampoo mixed with the all too familiar smells of cordite and gun oil that seemed to permeate his very being. It was strange that it was that smell that made her relax and feel a comforting presence envelop her, and with that she slowly drifted off to sleep. Neither noticed the two grey eyes watching her snuggle up to Sousuke with a bit of jealousy.


	19. Chapter 17: Caught Red Handed

**Sword and Shield**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 17:<strong> Caught Red Handed

* * *

><p><strong>Angel Light <strong>1. _n._ A unique invention capable of looking through walls and disabling electronics with its beam, rumored to also emit significant cosmic and gamma rays.

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 16:30 hrs<strong>

**Washington, District of Columbia, United States**

**White House Situation Room**

President Bill Clinton leaned back in the plush arm chair at the end of the cabinet meeting table. Dozens of monitors and cameras for live feed connections sat in the far end of the room on standby. Just days earlier they'd witnessed the battle in Alaska live from the same room. Already many of the men gathered around the table were beginning to regret their course of action.

Mithril had given the army forces a bloody nose and all but destroyed the air force wing they'd been pitted against. The belief in American technical superiority and training had been shattered. Opponents with ECS could turn the tables and fight battles in ways that the line units of the United States simply couldn't counter with their current arsenal of equipment and training.

Now they were discussing obtaining the sources of these great technologies.

"Three whispered in one location under minimal guard, it's not even an option not to make an attempt, not really… Not when we've seen what the inventions two of them created." General John Alexander Gordon said as he glanced down at his clipboard. "Getting them to work for us would be a boon… a fifty percent increase in the number of whispered in our possession."

"How many are currently working for the government General? Six?" President Clinton asked.

"Six are involved in research. A seventh is attached to my agency." The General said. "She's not really the sort of agent we want working at Groom Lake. Her talents lie in other areas."

"I see…" General Bowman Myers, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff shifted uncomfortably. "I was not aware that whispered had talents outside of research."

"She specializes in resonance, using the whispers to detect and identify other whispered candidates." General Gordon answered. "We have a unique opportunity here, and there's no telling how long a window we have before they're guarded or identified by the Japanese government."

General Hugh Shelton leaned over the varnished table, his bulldog face staring at the folders they'd each been presented. "After the bloody nose we got fighting Mithril in Alaska, I think we need more assets for an operation like this."

"Unfortunately that's not possible." Samuel R Berger, the National Security Advisor spoke up as

President Clinton said as he rubbed a temple with his pointer finger. "The restrictions the Japanese have put upon our military forces over the last few hours will make it impossible to shift more assets into place without antagonizing the Japanese."

"So we make do with what we have. Surely two delta teams can handle three children and there one body guard." Secretary of Defense William Cohen said. "Eight elite operatives verses one bodyguard? It seems the odds are already heavily in our favor."

"Perhaps, but their bodyguard isn't exactly a hired brute either." General Gordon said cautiously. "We've identified him as well, and if our list of his service record is even close to correct he could be a major threat to the operatives."

"He's eighteen, maybe nineteen… I bet he'll be in bed with one of the girls when you knock down the door." Cohen said. "He's just a punk kid that got kicked around from one battlefield to another."

President Clinton arched an eyebrow. "The man escaped our base on Okinawa with the AI out of the Laevantein. He survived a nuclear strike. I'd say he's more than just a punk kid."

"Maybe, but even if he was this specially trained operative, it'll be eight against one, ten if the CIA operatives get involved directly." The Secretary of Defense said. "Honestly, I don't see how this plan could go wrong… it's so simple."

"I agree it's simple, Will. But what if the Japanese find out we did this… this whispered: Kaname Chidori… her father is rather well known in the United Nations. It sounds like a terrorist plot to go after her." President Clinton said. "But then the list of things she produced makes it clear she'd be valuable to anyone that can lay their hands on her."

"Mister President, we don't have much time… Does this operation have a go?" General Gordon said.

Bill Clinton stared at the satellite images for a long moment then nodded. "It's a go, how long before it's launched?"

"Probably twenty-four hours, I'll leave final launch and operational command up to the Delta team leader." General Gordon said. "Now, there is one other thing…" He pulled a set of folders from a briefcase and passed them around. "It's something of a related subject. Warbler has produced some disturbing intelligence."

As the folders were passed around each person took a moment to read the abstract before skimming through the file searching for the more important bits of information. Behind his reading glasses the President frowned. "This is disturbing."

"It seems that with Mithril out of the picture people feel more secure using extreme measures." Sandy Berger said as he set the folder down. "…and seeing it as an opportunity to eliminate old enemies."

"I never would have expected Najibullah's regime in Afghanistan to seriously consider the use of such weapons against their fellow Afghans." Bill Clinton stated. "The soviet union is also deploying two newly formed mechanized infantry regiments to afghani…" The president stopped for a long moment and stared at the document. "Field testing of the TZy-100? They're deploying Lambda-driver equipped arm slaves to Afghanistan in addition to chemical weapons?"

"I am afraid so." General Gordon said. "You can see why we're desperate to get our hands on an expert with Lambda driver technology. Plus the Soviet's decision to sell mustard gas to the Afghan regime will allow them to deny such sales... since it's so damn easy to make even in a hell-hole like Afghanistan."

* * *

><p><strong>28 March 2000, 06:53 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**MV-22 Osprey **_**Seadancer**_**, Tarmac, Chofu Airport**

The air shimmered over a strip of concrete before one of the reserved hangars at Chofu Airport. On the far side of the runway a number of commuter planes sat being serviced as the MV-22 Osprey appeared and settled onto the ground like a large plump bird roosting. Inside Melissa Mao stood in the open cargo door as the craft settled and clambered out onto the tarmac swinging a heavy backpack over her shoulder with practiced ease as Kurz kicked the large equipment pallet down the cargo bed and onto the floor where it landed with a boom.

"Careful jackass, there's explosives in there!" Melissa hissed as she spun toward Kurz. "Are you trying to get us killed?"

"Sorry sis, I wasn't thinking." Kurz said as he clambered down the ramp and shook his head. "We got a truck to load this on, one of those commercial ones maybe?"

"I'll check Kurz, just sit tight." Melissa said as she walked toward the hangar, a slight swagger in her step. Pulling open the side door, she stepped through and immediately froze when she saw the Gulfstream G. IV inside. Carbon scoring lined the plane's aft section and what looked like bits of pine needles coated the bottom the fuselage. "What the hell?"

"Sis?" Kurz perked up from his perch atop the pallet of equipment.

"Come look at this Kurz!" Melissa said as she flicked on a light and put her hands on her hips to survey the plane. "You think this is the plane Sarah flew here?"

"Probably." Kurz said as he wandered over and glanced at the plane. "What the hell sis, did she fly it through the forest or what? There's scratches all along the belly… she's lucky she didn't crash!"

"That girl has more guts than… wait, wasn't Al the one flying the plane?" Mao said suddenly then grinned. "Extreme soldiering… must have learned crazy stunts work from being partnered with Sousuke so long."

"So sis, is the truck here?" Kurz reminded her as he glanced around the hangar.

"If it's here it'll be around the back of the hangar." Melissa said as she started on a trot to the far end of the hangar and banged open a door. Leaning out she caught sight of a large white truck decorated with a blue and green company logo. Smiling slightly she glanced back at Kurz. "It's still here, I'll get it around and we can load up."

"Roger that." Kurz said as he headed back to the pallet of equipment. Already the crew of the Osprey had disembarked and had started doing maintenance on the beast of a plane they had flown to Japan. After a few minutes Melissa drove the Macaroni truck up beside Kurz, kicked open the door and hopped out with the engine idling. Kurz opened the trailer door and clambered inside as Melissa started swinging crates of supplies up into the truck to Kurz who kicked, dragged, or carried the cases of military equipment to the far end of the truck and secured them. When that was done, Kurz stood in the back of the trailer for a moment and glanced around, noticing the scuff marks where his M9 had lain the first few weeks of the mission to guard Chidori. "You think Tessa can get a hold of another Arm Slave?"

"Don't know Kurz, those fuckers are expensive and without the rest of Mithril or those wealthy British fagots backing us cause they're dead… I don't see how." Melissa said with a sigh.

"Couldn't we get hold of a Savage at least?" Kurz said.

"I have no damn idea." Melissa said. "Come on, let's go see Sousuke."

* * *

><p><strong>28 March 2000, 09:01 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 404, Mansion K Apartments**

Tessa sighed as she rolled out of her sleeping bag and stared up at the ceiling, noticing the lines of sunlight playing across the ceiling from the low-hanging sun. Taking a deep breath she ran a hand through her long platinum blonde hair and glanced over the cluster of sleeping bodies toward the sleeping bag where Sousuke and Kaname laid. With a grin she stood and padded toward the pair, her grey eyes glittering mischievously.

She stopped as she saw the two of them. Kaname was hugging Sousuke tightly, her nose buried in his messy hair. Sousuke seemed relaxed and peaceful in her arms despite the weapons sitting beside the sleeping bag.

_They're so cute together…_ Tessa thought as she bent over them for a moment. Her gut twisted with guilt at the thought of embarrassing them, of trying to break them up. _I can't do that to them, Kaname is my friend and so is Sousuke… no matter how much I wish I was more to him._ She sighed. _They're so cute though… picture perfect. A picture!_ She grinned suddenly and stood up, glancing around the room for a moment before spotting the soft halo of brown hair around Kyoko.

Carefully she stepped between sleeping students, cursing her own clumsiness as she wobbled on her feet a moment. Then she stood beside Kyoko's sleeping bag and her eyes widened in surprise. Looking down she saw that Kyoko had been turning in her sleep, rolling rather violently during the night and had managed to almost roll atop the bag of her neighbor, bringing her face within centimeters of the Shinji's who was quietly wheezing with each breath.

_So cute!_ Tessa thought as she clasped a hand over her mouth to stifle a burst of giggles. Grinning to herself she leaned down and poked Kyoko in the shoulder. "Kyoko, wake up…"

Kyoko blinked her bright brown eyes for a moment and jerked suddenly as she saw Shinji's face so close to her own. Tessa watched as she took a deep breath to calm herself and rolled away and squinted up at her. "Tessa?"

"You have your camera?" She asked.

"Somewhere…" Kyoko said as she searched around and found the camera beside her along with her glasses. Nodding to herself she picked them up and pulled them on, blinking as her vision clear. "Here it is Tessa." She said as she lifted the pink camera in her hands and sat upright. "You need it for something?"

Tessa leaned down and whispered. "Kaname snuck out of her sleeping bag last night… come see."

Kyoko grinned. "Is it really embarrassing?" She asked as she clambered out of her sleeping bag and stood up.

"It's really kind of sweet too." Tessa said as she led Kyoko to Sousuke's sleeping bag. Then she pointed at the pair and grinned at Tessa. "I thought it was picture worthy."

"Kawaii!" Kyoko said as she took a picture. "You're right… it's really sweet. I heard Kana had been sleeping with him…" She grinned at Tessa. "Sousuke looks so peaceful."

"I know. He's never like that when he's awake." Tessa said as she tried to stifle a giggle. Bending over with her hand over her mouth she caught the side of a sleeping bag and fell with a thud waking up Shiori.

"Hey!" Shiori said as she sat up startled. Looking at Tessa her gaze drifted to Sousuke and Kaname and a wicked smile slipped across her face. She turned to the bag next to her and poked it.

"What's going on?" Maya asked as she rubbed her eyes.

"Kaname is in Sousuke's sleeping bag." Shiori said.

That jolted Maya awake and she stared at the two. "Kawaii… Mizuki needs to see this!" She said.

Tessa stared in horror as each friend woke another and crowded around the sleeping couple, whispering to each other. She stepped back, doing her best to hide behind the other girls as Mizuki stared down at them, her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face.

"I can't believe it." She said in a voice that was barely a whisper. "She's cuddling him, in the same sleeping bag. It's just wrong!" Her voice was almost a snarl at the end as Kyoko stared at the girl horrified. "I'm going to call her parents!"

"What?" Kyoko screeched before getting control of her voice. "No, don't you dare!"

* * *

><p>Sagara Sousuke awoke to the sound of whispers. Blinking uncertainly in the morning light that was flooding the apartment he shook his head and realized that another pair of eyes was boring into him from a meter away.<p>

Mizuki Inaba was leering over him, her hands on her hips and an evil looking grin on her face. To either side of her was one of Kaname's friends, to the left was Maya Mukai and to the right was Shiori Kudo.

Sousuke was suddenly very aware of Kaname's arm wrapped around his waist and her chest pressing against his back.

_This is bad._

"Leave them alone Mizuki!" Kyoko called out sharply from somewhere behind him. Irritated and partly immobilized he pulled out his polished tactical knife and used it as a mirror to spy over his shoulder.

Kyoko was red faced, clearly angry and maybe even a bit incensed from the look of her. Sousuke couldn't ever remember the bubbly girl this mad at anyone beside himself when she thought he'd hurt Kaname. Shinji was cowering behind her, blushing furiously himself while Tessa stood beside Kyoko trying to look as commanding as she could, it wasn't working.

"How long has this been happening huh?" Mizuki just about hissed as she pointed to Kaname curled up around Sousuke. "How long have you known about this Tokiwa?"

"It doesn't matter." Kyoko said.

"Doesn't it? Your best friend is sharing a bed with a boy, or at least a sleeping bag!" Mizuki growled.

Kyoko scowled as Tessa tried to hold her back, but Kyoko's fists clenched as she marched toward Mizuki easily shaking off the clumsy captain. "When you've been strapped to a bomb or kidnapped, then you can judge them, not before!"

In a low voice Ono-D glanced over at Shinji and added: "I guess that answers whether Inaba has ever gotten any."

"Oh, so you think I'm such a hussy huh!" Mizuki screeched and her face flushed with anger. "What about them!" She pointed down at Sousuke as Kaname's grip tightened and she nuzzled him sleepily.

"You're just jealous!" Ono-D said standing up and facing Mizuki.

"Stop!" Tessa yelled, her voice slipping into a screech. "Leave them alone! None of you understand what they went through."

"Then educate us Captain!" Mizuki hissed and folded her arms in front of her chest. "I watched my school turn into a war-zone because of those two!"

"It's not my story to tell!" Tessa answered. "You want to know, ask them!"

At that moment the door banged with a heavy knock and everyone jumped in surprise. Sousuke tried to pull himself free of Kaname when the door burst open and he froze in surprise as he saw Melissa Mao lower her booted foot and walked inside. She was clad in a black combat pants along with a plain black tank top and an olive drab Mithril uniform jacket tied around her waist. Slowly Melissa surveyed the scene before her gaze came to rest on Sousuke grabbing hold of a pistol with Kaname hiding behind him. Her eyes widened in surprise before twinkling mischievously.

"What the fuck is going on in here?" She bellowed and the other teenagers cowered suddenly.

Kurz's head popped in the door as Sousuke scrambled to his feet and snapped to military attention. Behind him, Kaname stumbled to her feet and pulled on his shoulder as she tried to straighten up. "Lieutenant Mao, a sleepover!"

"I knew that, what's with the yelling?" Melissa barked as the other teenagers began to back away from the woman.

"Miss Inaba was unhappy with the sleeping arrangements of Kaname Chidori and myself." Sousuke said quickly, and sweat began to pour down his brow. _What if Melissa doesn't approve… what if?_

Behind Mao, Kurz snorted then gave Sousuke a thumbs up.

"The yelling was because you two were sharing a sleeping bag?" Melissa growled. "That's it?"

"Affirmative." Sousuke said.

"Melissa…" Kaname started as she rubbed her head.

"Sergeant, I thought you took non-fraternization seriously!" Melissa said with a scowl as she paced before Sousuke. "Mithril regulations are quite explicit in what is acceptable contact between a Mithril guard and their charge!"

"Melissa!" Kaname gasped.

Sousuke's mouth went dry. _No, not after all this… she wouldn't._ He could hear Tessa squeak behind him and swallowed thickly. "Perhaps the regulations should change then, or do I need to mention your own violation!"

Melissa froze and glared at him, then smiled softly. "Damn Sousuke, can't I even mess with you?"

"Mess with…" Sousuke started.

"What was your last order from Mithril command?"

"Uh… I was informed of the termination of my contract." Sousuke swallowed thickly again. "Shit."

"That's right Sousuke, you're not Mithril anymore so what do Mithril regs matter?" Melissa said. "So cut the military crap, we're private contractors now… no rank, no bull-shit, no regulations about who you can date or fuck or…"

A gasp went up from the Japanese teenagers and Kaname snorted in amusement.

"What I say… oh shut it you idiots, real mature!" Melissa glared at the teenage friends of Kaname and only seemed to soften her expression when she glanced at Kyoko who still seemed to be on the verge of striking Mizuki. "Now Sousuke, you can start using my fucking first name now… It's Melissa, or Mao-san, or little miss bad-ass. I don't care, just no more Lieutenant Mao. Understood?"

"Yes ma—" Sousuke caught himself and swallowed again. "Yes Melissa."

"Good, now… What the hell is wrong with you?" Melissa barked at the other teenagers. "Can't you let two love-birds sleep?" They cringed and Mizuki seemed to be shaking in fear.

Sousuke glanced at them and felt sweat begin to pour down his face as his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Lieutenant Mao, you must understand that Japanese culture…"

"Sousuke! That's not my name." Melissa snorted. "As for Japanese culture… does it matter to either of you?" She asked, glancing between Kaname and Sousuke. "Does it really?"

"Uh…" Sousuke racked his brains for a moment before realizing it had never occurred to him of the cultural implications. The only cultural reference beside the military that he really put any weight in had already grown quite distant with his experience in Japan. He couldn't even picture Kaname in the framework of his afghan upbringing… a burqa wouldn't suit her.

"No." Kaname scowled and blew at her bangs. "I don't care!"

"Affirmative, I had not even thought of it until your friends seemed so upset." Sousuke said.

"We're not upset." Maya said quickly. "It's Mizuki that's—"

"Shut up!" Mizuki shouted and tugged at her hair. "Why does she get everything? She treated Sousuke like crap when he came here and now she's snuggling up to him like he's some sort of teddy bear!"

"He is Bonta-kun!" Kyoko said with a wicked smirk. "He's like a teddy bear, you know?"

_I am like a teddy bear? What is a teddy bear anyway?_ He glanced at Kaname, "Kaname, what exactly is a—"

"American stuffed animal." Kaname said quickly before turning to Mizuki. "Now, what's your problem Mizuki? You want another kiss from Sousuke now, is that it?"

Mizuki turned beet red and Kurz made a wolf whistle. "Damn Sousuke!"

"I can't believe you even like him, he can't kiss worth a—"

Melissa growled. "Enough!" She bellowed. "I thought you were Kaname's friends, and now you're tearing her to shreds because she's finally with the boy that's saved her time after time. What sort of friends does that?"

Mizuki glanced around at them nervously before letting out a sigh. "Fine, I won't complain about it!" She harrumphed and turned toward the bathroom, grabbing her backpack as she went. Then the door slammed shut.

"Baka…" Kyoko hissed to herself.

"Bitch." Kurz said with a shake of his head and ran a hand through his blonde hair. Then he waved Sousuke over and dropped his voice to a whisper. "I've got a present for you, but first we should make sure no nation states are listening in." He kicked a large black box into the entryway and popped it open.

"Bug sweep?" Sousuke asked quietly. "If anyone is on the taps they'll know something is up when we just get quiet."

"Yep, I've got some ideas on that." Kurz said as he pulled what looked like a large flashlight from the box along with a microwave receiver and EM detector. With a shrug he let his voice return to a normal volume. "Our bugs and devices are probably still in place, you remember where you put them Sousuke?"

"Of course." The former mithril sergeant answered instantly.

Maya and Shiori scowled as they heard this. "You bugged the apartment? That's just… rude."

_It didn't do any good, Leonard was sitting in the room when I walked her home like he owned the damn place._ Sousuke sighed and looked over at the girls. "I wish it hadn't been necessary. Since I'm living here now, I think keeping the bugs would be excessive." He glanced at Kurz and lowered his voice slightly. "Let's remove the Mithril ones as well."

"You sure?" Kurz asked as a somewhat creepy smile slipped across his face.

"Affirmative." Sousuke said as he leveled a glare at Kurz. "Kaname deserves some level of privacy."

"Right, as for keeping them for realizing they've been compromised…" Kurz grinned as he started to relay his plan.

* * *

><p><strong>28 March 2000, 09:47 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 201, Tama Tsutsumi Dori Apartments**

Wraith sighed and rubbed her eyes. She lay awake and stared up at the ceiling as the morning rays washed through the windows. Slowly she slipped out of bed and padded across the bare wood floor to the bathroom, ignoring the strewn debris of equipment cases, clothes of various sorts, and a number of cosmetic disguise kits.

Once inside she glared at her reflection in the mirror for a long moment, running her hand through the shaggy remnants of the helmet shaped haircut that had been in fashion in her communist homeland, she's simply let her hair grow since she left and now much of it hung over her eyes or pooled around her shoulders. She ran a hand through the wiry hair that framed her face and sighed before striping off the old worn out t-shirt and boxer shorts she'd worn to bed.

She turned on the shower water without looking at the knob and sighed as steam began to build in the small apartment bathroom. _I can't be on guard every hour of every day or I'll end up just as useless as sergeant sabotage._ She rolled her eyes for a moment before washing herself quickly and stepping out of the bathroom and grabbing a towel. She stopped and scowled as she noticed the small pile of dirty laundry in the hamper beside the sink. _I'll need to do laundry soon._

Nodding to herself, she grabbed a pair of underwear and hastily dressed before walking over to the balcony window. There she lit up a cigarette and starred out over the raised highway to the Tama river. With a flick of her wrist, she turned on the microwave receiver for the Mithril bugs and the speakers crackled to life.

"Affirmative… that's all the devices we placed." The sound of Sagara Sousuke's voice echoed in the apartment.

"Breakfast is almost done!" Kaname's voice echoed in the room.

"Excellent, a home cooked meal after all this time! Sweet!" A familiar voice answered and Wraith glanced at the device.

"Kurz has arrived then, and if he's here…" Wraith said to herself.

"Kurz, don't touch Kaname's bum! She doesn't like your perverted damn lecherous…" The rant of invective suddenly ended with a bang that sounded suspiciously like a frying pan connecting with a body.

"Hentai!" Kaname growled.

"Kaname! Don't kill him." Kyoko's voice said with a shout of surprise.

Wraith chuckled and turned back to the view out the balcony. "Yes, they do make a wonderful reality show."

* * *

><p><strong>28 March 2000, 09:53 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 404, Mansion K Apartments**

Kaname grinned as she lifted the dented aluminum wok from the kitchen counter top. Melissa stood beside her, her eyes twinkling with amusement as she glanced over at the two other Mithril operatives slowly waving their instruments across the wall, Sousuke's brow furrowed in concentration as he listened to the device through a headset.

Beside him Kurz gave the two of them a goofy grin then made a pathetic sounding whimper. "Damn angel, that fucking hurt!"

Kaname grinned wickedly as she watched them work, playing her part in the little drama Kurz had suggested too cover the removal of the listening devices. "Good, hands off!"

"Weber, do not touch Kaname." Sousuke stated coldly as he reached a corner and suddenly stopped, holding the device next to a point in the small section of wall between the corner and the balcony door. He clenched his fist and signaled he'd found a device with his hands.

Kurz nodded and walked over beside him, lifting up the flashlight looking device and holding it toward the point. As he did he continued the act. "Sousuke, buddy, I didn't mean anything by it… When I see a beauty like that, I lose control. Share the wealth man!"

Kaname grinned and picked up the glock 17 pistol with an empty magazine then looked down at the cutting board. Kurz nodded to her and she slammed the glock against the wood with a bang. As she did Kurz thumbed the on switch on the flashlight.

* * *

><p><strong>28 March 2000, 09:55 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 201, Tama Tsutsumi Dori Apartments**

Wraith winced as the speakers screeched for a moment then crackled and died. Scowling she bent down over the device and began to flip through some switched before picking up the headset and slipping it back on. After a few minutes she through down the headphones in disgust and stood. "Fucking piece of crap."

* * *

><p><strong>28 March 2000, 09:56 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 404, Mansion K Apartments**

Kaname's mouth dropped open as she watched the drywall disappear in the device's beam revealing a strange metal and plastic disk around the size of a hand anchored to the beam. _That is no flashlight._ She thought to herself.

"Hmm…" Kurz said as he leaned back, the flashlight pointed at the device and said quietly. "Doesn't look CIA, actually it… it looks like one of ours."

"Transmission cessation confirmed." Sousuke whispered as he lowered his device. "Mithril equipment, it likely is Wraith's then."

"Right, I forgot she'd have her own stuff." Kurz grinned and turned to Kaname and Melissa and winked. Then he raised his voice again. "I'm sorry buddy. I didn't mean anything by that. She's hot, you know!" When Sousuke arched an eyebrow at him Kurz quickly added. "Come on Tessa! Tell him not to kill me!"

Melissa grinned and popped her knuckled dramatically. "He won't, because I will." Then she walked up beside him and kissed Kurz's cheek. When she took a step back she yelled. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"I wasn't! Babe!" Kurz replied automatically as he winced at her voice. After a second he regained his senses and looked up at her with a lopsided grin. "Nee-san, I didn't mean any—"

Kaname cut off his rant by banging her fist on the counter top. She grinned as she saw the two experienced operatives leap into character, or… perhaps a reliving of their prior fights.

Mao bellowed. "What did I tell you Weber? What did I tell you I'd do to you if you started hitting on other girls?" She glanced at Kaname who hit the counter top again with her fist. Her voice got even louder. "You fucker!"

"But babe!" Kurz protested with an enormous grin plastered on his face.

By now Sousuke had moved to the other side of the room and had finished the living area. Scowling slightly he pushed open the door to Kaname's bedroom and walked inside, still searching for other devices.

Melissa was grinning, enjoying the opportunity to yell and scream at Kurz without really being mad at him. She winked at him before beginning a rant of invective that left Kaname and the other girls who heard it blushing madly with embarrassment. "You fucking, two timing bastard, be glad I'm beating the shit out of you instead of letting Sousuke practice his interrogation technique." While Kyoko and Kaname tried desperately to stifle their laughter Mao continued. "Keep your fucking hands, off other people's fucking ass, and stop hitting on Sousuke's girl! Is that understood?"

"Yes babe!" Kurz said with a wink. "I…"

Melissa grinned, but her voice was harsh. "You want to sleep alone from now on?"

Kurz actually gaped at her, seemingly unsettled and unsure if she was kidding anymore. "But, you… you love me!"

"Fucker." Melissa said as she sauntered up to him and poked him in the chest. "Stop fucking around with other girls then!"

Sousuke stepped back into the room and signaled with his hands again. Kurz headed after him into the bedroom with the flashlight grasped in his hands. Kaname and Melissa followed them while Melissa cracked her knuckles again to give the taps something to listen to.

* * *

><p><strong>28 March 2000, 10:01 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 509, Lions Mansion Apartments**

"Yes babe, I'm really sorry." The CIA operative couldn't keep the smirk off his face as his partner snickered beside him listening to the audio pickups. "Please, I'm sorry!" The man called Kurz seemed to say desperately.

There was a thump and suddenly their headphones screeched with static. Both operatives winced and pulled their headsets off just as the sound died completely. "What the fuck just happened?"

"Maybe they smashed Kurz into the wall hard enough to knock out the pickup." The older operative answered quickly as he ran his hand through his long hair. "We'll have to find a way to replace it."

"Damn, just when it was really getting good." The young blond haired operative said as he scratched his head. "I'll see about doing it next time the apartment's empty…"

Beside the table with the listening equipment their secure fax leapt into action. Glancing at each other they turned to the machine as lines of encrypted text scrolled up.

OP CODENAME: RAPTURE

EQT SPECAL OP – OBJECTIVE MUST BE MARKED BY 20:00 HRS LOCAL FOR DELTA INSERTION POINT – INFRARED STROBE ONLY. AVOID HOSTILE CONTACT IF POSSIBLE. OPERATION LAUNCH 10:00 HRS LOCAL MARCH 29. OBSERVE AND REPORT SUCCESS OR FAILURE.

LANGLEY OUT

The older ethnically Japanese man swore under his breath as he read the transmission then glanced at the younger operative. "Get out an infrared strobe. We need to mark the roof above their apartment." Then he tossed the paper in the shredder beside the printer.

"Right." The younger blond man said as he pulled open the door to a storage room and began digging through the equipment boxes.

* * *

><p><strong>28 March 2000, 10:03 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 404, Mansion K Apartments**

Kaname growled under her breath as she saw the drywall disappear under the beam of the strange flashlight. Now she could see the wood framing and as Kurz twisted the dial that to disappeared to reveal a rather plain looking plastic device that had been screwed into the opposite side of the wall. It was directly over the headboard of her bed! _Damn it, is there no shame?_ Her mind screamed.

Sousuke leaned forward and squinted at it, careful to avoid the beam. "Looks like a CIA device to me, microwave mirror and covert listening system, very advanced." He whispered to Kurz before lifting up the detector and checking it over. "It's fried, the Angel Light did its job."

_Angel Light?_ Kaname thought to herself.

"What do you think Angel?" Kurz asked her with a wicked little grin.

"Hmm?" Kaname said confused for a moment.

"Well, the Fairy Feather wasn't the only device Sarah managed to concoct from your notes Kaname." Melissa said. "We contacted an inventor in Canada who perfected this thing." She pointed to the flashlight. "Your whispers were the basis for the device."

"What do you mean Melissa?" Kaname said then suddenly turned pale. "I made that? I thought all my talents were with the Lambda driver."

Sousuke raised a finger to his lips and whispered. "Quiet, there may be additional devices. Kurz and I will finish with this."

Kaname let out a sigh and nodded before turning to Melissa and keeping her voice a mere whisper. "I really made that?"

Melissa nodded and squeezed Kaname's shoulder. "It would have been a huge help to Sousuke when we were guarding you. Maybe that's why the whispers went that way."

"So I can control what I… whisper then?" Kaname asked.

"Maybe subconsciously, Tessa has always loved swimming, maybe that's why she made a submarine… or cause her father was a sub driver or something." Melissa shrugged. "Go and ask Tessa, I really don't know."

Kaname nodded. "Maybe later, she's keeping everyone else quiet."

"Sousuke, the shower's right on the other side of this right?" Kurz asked as he stepped up to one of the walls.

"Affirmative." Sousuke said as he lowered the device. "It's clear, I've already swept it. It seems we're clear."

"Okay." Kurz suddenly grinned and lifted the Angel Light to the wall and flicked it on, making the wall in the beam transparent.

* * *

><p>Mizuki sighed, her anger slowly abating with the water. <em>Kaname gets everything her way. It's not fair, she got Sousuke. All the boys have some sort of crush on her! It's not—<em>

The tile before her suddenly disappeared and she felt a tingle run across her whole body, like hundreds of pine needles brushing against her skin. Through the hole in the wall she saw Kurz Weber staring at her with a delighted grin.

Mizuki's screams filled the apartment.

* * *

><p>Kaname tried, she really did, to look angry and stern at Kurz as Melissa ripped the device from his hands and shut it off. But then Melissa swiped him with the heavy metal case of the light and he rubbed his head and Kaname bent over double and began laughing.<p>

The door to the bathroom opened with a bang and Mizuki rushed out, hastily clad in her day clothes with shampoo suds still in her hair. She grabbed the aluminum bat from the closet beside the bathroom and rushed toward Kurz who was still bent over rubbing his forehead. The metal bat hit the side of his head with a thwack that sent him spinning into the wall as Mizuki rushed after his stunned form screaming 'hentai', 'pervert', 'peeping-tom', and a number of other expletives as she proceeded to beat him into submission.

Kaname's grin faltered and Melissa gaped at the viciousness of Mizuki's assault. As she pulled the bat back for another swing Sousuke rushed forward and tore it from her grasp and tossed it toward Kaname's bed. When Mizuki turned to him, her hands curled into claws and when she started screaming at him instead, Kaname had enough. While Sousuke backed away from her using his hands to fend off her nails and protect his face Kaname took three steps into the living room, picked up her stun gun from where it lain beside Sousuke's pistols and walked back checking its charge.

Melissa was bent over Kurz with a wet towel trying to rouse him back to consciousness as Kaname stepped in and leveled the stun gun at Mizuki who was scratching at Sousuke with her nails. Without so much as a flicker of regret she pulled the trigger and sent a cascade of high voltage into Mizuki, as the stun gun clattered with each electrical discharged.

Mizuki straightened as the darts hit her and the electricity rocketed through her body. Then she collapsed beside Sousuke, her body twitching for a moment before Kaname released the trigger and pulled the two contact diodes from her limp form. As Mizuki blinked and stared up at her Kaname's face hardened into an expression devoid of emotion, just as cold and stoic as Sousuke's tended to be.

"Do not, ever, attack Sousuke!" Kaname yelled at Mizuki before pointing back to the bathroom. "Now go clean up!"

Mizuki looked terrified and tried to scramble upright but couldn't… the shock from the gun still making her muscles limp and unresponsive. As she finally stumbled upright and through the door Sousuke glanced at Kaname and her cold expression melted to one of worry, a look he seemed to be mirroring. "Kaname?"

"How's Kurz?" Kaname asked quietly as she glanced at Melissa still bent over the unconscious form of the sniper.

"I think he's got a concussion… or worse." Melissa said as she examined him. "Damn it!"

"Mizuki seems to be rather short fused today." Sousuke said quietly.

"Kurz was peeping on her." Kaname said just as quietly. "She shouldn't have attacked you though. You were just trying to keep her from killing Kurz."

"I remember how painful it can be to be on the receiving end of a baseball bat." Sousuke said.

"Sorry." Kaname said quietly. "I never went all out like that though!"

"Affirmative…" Sousuke picked up the bat from her bed and grimaced as he noticed a decent sized dent in its aluminum body. "I believe she damaged the bat…" Sousuke sighed and dropped the bat on the bed.

The door to the bathroom opened with another bang and Mizuki ran out clutching her backpack and headed out the door after grabbing hold of her shoes. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she ran out and slammed the door behind her.

"Bitch…" Kurz groaned from where he lay.

"It's your damn fault… fucking pervert." Melissa said as she helped him up. "Kaname, can you get an ice pack… I'll take him into the living area and lay him on the couch. Sousuke, can you pack up the electronics equipment?"

"Affirmative." Sousuke said as he picked up the Angel Light and blinked at a yellow danger label on the casing. "Kurz… you do know this is a 'radiological device' don't you?"

Melissa snickered. "You sterilized Mizuki! You asshole!"

"If I did, I did the world a favor." Kurz groused as Melissa helped him into the living area. "It's not that damn dangerous! No more than an X-ray the guy said."

Kaname shrugged. "I'll get that ice and my first aid kit."

* * *

><p><strong>28 March 2000, 10:21 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Ground Floor, Lions Mansion Apartments**

The older CIA operative watched as one of the teenagers from their target's gang of friends banged open the door to the apartment and ran down the stairs. Shaking his head, the older man watched as she ran from the apartment complex then down the street, tears streaming down her face.

In his ear, his partner's voice whispered through their radio channel. "I wonder what that was about."

"If we had the taps working still, we'd know." He answered as he glanced both ways down the street then strode across into the parking lot that separated the Tigers Mansion Apartments from the Mansion K Apartments. He kept his hands in his pockets as he strode up the stairs to the roof and walked out onto the gravel of the roof material.

"About fifteen feet to your left, the window and balcony right below is the target."

He nodded and felt the gaze of his partner on him with a set of binoculars and walked to the edge of the roof and glanced down finding the balcony. Nodding again he shook his pant leg allowing the infrared strobe and marker to drop out and land amongst the rocks. "Marker placed."

As the operative headed down the stairs from the roof, he heard a door bang open and the squeak of tennis shoes as he reached the landing for the fourth floor. "Mizuki wait! What happened?" The door to the stairs banged open and he froze as two Japanese girls ran inside. He recognized both of them and felt a bead of sweat run down his brow. "Uhh…"

"I knew he was a spy!" The girl with the long red tinted hair said as she lifted a can of pepper spray.

His eyes burned as the aerosol hit him, and he fought to keep them open as he stumbled forward. He felt his foot miss the step and he fell forward. Flashes of pain spiked through his body as he tumbled down the stairs and then hit the wall of the next landing with a crack, and felt his consciousness begin to fade.

"Get Sousuke!" One of the girls called out as the world went black.

* * *

><p><strong>28 March 2000, 10:33 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Roof, Lions Mansion Apartments**

"Shit!" The blond haired CIA agent cursed as he watched his partner tumble down the outside stairwell of the K Mansion Apartments building. Cursing again, he dropped his binoculars and scrambled down the stairs, drawing a small Glock 28 from his jacket. As he reached the ground floor, he burst through the glass door and ran across the street, his hands wrapped tightly around the pistol.

* * *

><p><strong>28 March 2000, 10:34 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Surburs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 404, Mansion K Apartments**

Sousuke tensed as Shiori slammed open the door to the apartment. "Sousuke! We caught that spy!"

Kaname froze as she was about to set the ice atop Kurz's throbbing head and Melissa's head snapped toward the door from where she sat helping tend Weber. Melissa drew an H&K USP and started toward the door. "Fucking hell!"

Sousuke swept his Glock 17 pistol up and scrambled past Shiori as Melissa followed him, ignoring the fact that he was still in his white pajamas. "Where?"

"Stairwell!" Shiori said as she pointed to the nearest stairwell. "Down a landing!"

"Roger!" Sousuke said as he took off at a run, his gun down in the ready position as he scrambled down the open-air hallway and the stairwell. When he reached the landing, he blinked in surprise as he found the Asian man with long hair that had been stalking them for the last few days.

Maya was standing over him. Her pepper spray can aimed at his face. "This him?"

"Affirmative." Sousuke said as he knelt before the man, reaching out to search his pockets. Then a bang like a storm door slamming open downstairs jolted him into action. "Maya, get back! It could be his partner."

The redhead scrambled away up the stairs and stopped at the next landing where she turned around to watch him.

Sousuke felt his breath quicken as he heard the steps from down the stairs rushing up. He crouched down by the concrete divider, swung his gun around the corner, and leveled his pistol toward the landing below. As the steps approached, he clicked the safety into the ready position and slipped his finger behind the trigger guard.

A blond haired man burst into view. He wore a sky blue jacket over a white t-shirt plus jeans and sneakers and had a Glock 28 in his hand. His blue eyes locked with Sousuke and his mouth opened in surprise as he saw him. Sousuke reacted instantly, centering the pistol on the man and squeezing the trigger.

The bang of the Glock 17 echoed in the tight confines of the concrete stairwell. His ears rang as a bright red spot appeared in blonde man's hip. The operative staggered back. His eyes were wide as he lifted the Glock 28 toward Sousuke. A bullet whizzed past Sousuke's ear and flattened itself against the concrete with a crack. Instinctively he ducked back behind the low barrier of concrete that formed the stairwell's railing.

"Shit!" Melissa yelled as she clambered down the stairwell beside Sousuke. Two more rounds from the Glock 28 hit the concrete before ricocheting around the stairwell buzzing like bees. She dropped into a crouch as bits of concrete dust rained down around her.

Sousuke swung back around the corner and lifted his pistol firing two shots in quick succession just as the man in the jacket fell back behind the stairwell wall. The nine-millimeter splatter rounds fragmented as they hit the wall with a flash, sending bits of the bullet in all directions. The fragments hissed as they cut through the air like shrapnel from a tiny grenade and Sousuke dropped back into cover.

"Son of a bitch." The blond yelled in English before lifting the pistol over the railing and loosing a hail of bullets blind.

Melissa swore as a ricochet buzzed past her. Then swore again as the blond agent stood and took more accurate aim.

_He's almost out._ Sousuke thought as he swung around the railing, a predatory smile slipping across his face as he saw the Glock 28's slide lock back after one last .380 ACP round buzzed past his ear. Sousuke fired back, loosing two rounds in quick succession. Both rounds struck the man in the center of the chest and he dropped back, bleeding profusely from the wounds. Sousuke lowered his pistol as the Glock 28 dropped from the enemy's hands and clattered to the floor.

"Fuck." Melissa said as she stood up and lowered her pistol.

Sousuke nodded as he stepped toward the body, his pistol still at the ready then kicked away the Glock 28. Then he lowered his hand to the man's neck and felt for a pulse.

There wasn't one.

Sousuke scowled and stepped back from the body, looking back at Melissa. "What do we do now? Surely someone would have called the authorities."

"I have no fucking idea." Melissa growled as Maya leaned over the railing and looked down at the body, a hand over her mouth.


	20. Chapter 18: Authorities

_Reminder: All my stories are on a monthly update schedule. Please, see my profile for the schedule._

* * *

><p><strong>Sword and Shield<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 18:<strong> Authorities

* * *

><p><strong>Authority <strong>1. _n._ The power to enforce or give orders. 2. _n._ Persons in command; specifically, government. 3. _n. _A person accepted as a reliable source of information.

* * *

><p><strong>28 March 2000, 10:36 hrs<strong>

**Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan**

**Ministry of Foreign Affairs**

Admiral Jerome Borda stepped out of the diplomatic car and nodded to his two escorts from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Both bodyguards displayed the stoic professionalism of their trade with the curt nods they gave to him in response before the older of the two gestured for him to follow.

There was no press of people, no crowd of reporters that usually attended high level diplomatic ventures. Instead only a single photographer and a stenographer were waiting for them as he was led through the doors. Inside the security guard took his briefcase and quickly examined it for concealed weapons or explosives before returning it to him. It felt strange to see them examining his things. It was something most diplomatic emissaries did not have to submit to.

Of course, most diplomatic emissaries represented countries, not organizations that had been labeled terrorists and mercenaries by a world superpower. Admiral Borda took a deep breath as he was lead to the elevator with the briefcase and watched the doors close. It was a swift ride up to the top floor where he was directed to a diplomatic meeting room complete with an oval table of varnished pine wood. Opposite the double doors he entered by sat the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kōno Yōhei. He was a handsome man for a sixty-three year old, and grey was only beginning to creep into his hair. His eyes seemed kind hearted, but Jerome was uncertain if that was his true nature as he had never learned to trust politicians. To his left and right sat others and after a moment Jerome realized that there were eleven men in the seats opposite him, nine of them Ministers of State. The others were a stenographer and the Chief of the Joint Staff… a full Admiral in Japan's Maritime Self Defense Forces.

The Security Council of Japan, he had not anticipated facing so many all at once. Taking a deep breath he bowed slightly to them and received a number of curt nods before he placed his briefcase upon the top of the table and opened it.

Behind the Minister of Foreign Affairs was a pair of flags, one of which was that of Japan, the other that of the United Nations. Admiral Borda was uncertain as to what he should make of that. Mithril had long been covertly supported by the United Nations and offered a public relations cover for their operations, perhaps it had been chosen because little else fit with a meeting such as this.

"Ministers, I must admit I didn't realize I would be facing the entire Security Council. How is it that you've managed to assemble without alerting the media to my… arrival?" He asked as he pulled a holo-projector from the briefcase and slid it to the center of the table with a practiced hand before removing his laptop.

Kōno nodded. "We are claiming an emergency meeting due to a weapon test in North Korea. The Prime Minister wished to come as well, but that would have been much more difficult to conceal."

Jerome Borda stopped and blinked, his one eye slowly searching the faces of those across from him. "The Prime Minister himself… I'm honored, but I did not even expect this level of recognition."

"Please Admiral, your organization has been an ally of Japan and saved hundreds, perhaps thousands of our citizens over the last two years. While you were beaten in Tokyo last year, we have not forgotten the A21 Incident or the rescue of our wayward airliner in North Korea." The Foreign Minister said and Jerome Borda nodded. It seemed that he was the one taking charge.

"Thank you." He took a deep breath. "Unfortunately the organization that has given your government so much support has been formally disbanded."

The Defense Minister gaped at the statement. "Mithril is gone?"

Jerome Borda sighed, "With the destruction of our base in Alaska along with the losses we'd taken over the last year, the organization was no longer capable of functioning. Even before the base was destroyed we only had sufficient finances left to continue operations for another month. What I wish to speak about is to ask for your support and permission for a replacement organization we are currently forming from the core of Mithril to operate within your borders."

With that he tapped his laptop and the holo-graphic emitter shimmered to life displaying a silver tower shield with a sword laid atop it. The look of the spinning logo evoked Mithril itself with its badge of a sword covering a shield decorated with a globe. "We call it Sword and Shield."

* * *

><p><strong>28 March 2000, 10:50 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**East Stairwell, Mansion K Apartments**

Tessa stared at the bloody mess on the landing, her hand over her mouth as she bit back the bile that rose in her mouth. The splat rounds had torn gaping holes in the man, and from their placement in his chest Tessa knew that death had almost been nearly instantaneous. Her hands trembled slightly as she lifted Sousuke's cell phone and hastily dialed a number she hadn't used in over a year. With a little luck it was still good.

Maya looked green as she trudged away, back toward the apartment. Kaname closed her eyes as she walked into the stairwell and let out a puff of air. "The police will be here any minute."

"I know." Tessa said as she finished dialing the number and lifted it to her ear. "I'm working on it."

Sousuke nodded and looked down at the still unconscious form of the older Japanese man with his long hair that had been following them. "Melissa, should we interrogate him?"

The older woman glanced at Tessa who shook her head. Understanding that, she glanced at Sousuke. "No, I don't think so… we don't want to antagonize the authorities any further."

"Understood." Sousuke said carefully.

"They're here!" Shinji's voice echoed from the ground floor and Tessa leaned out over the railing to see three Daihatsu Mira police cruisers and an ambulance coming to a stop in the parking lot.

Finally, the call connected and Tessa took a deep breath, but before she could say a word the police had rushed up into the room, revolvers drawn.

"Moshi moshi?" The voice on the phone asked as Tessa slowly lowered it from her ear and closed it. _Shit._

"Freeze, lower your weapons!" One of the police officers bellowed and Tessa glanced at her. It looked to be a woman with a rather tired expression under her eyes and messy brown hair. Kaname gaped as she stared at the woman then hid her face behind the railing.

"I said drop em!" The police woman repeated.

"Captain?" Sousuke asked quietly, his back turned away from the police woman.

"Do as they ask." Tessa said.

* * *

><p>Sousuke sighed. He stooped down and set his Glock 17 pistol on the stairwell then slowly lifted his arms into the air. Something about the woman's voice was familiar. Slowly he turned to face her. His hands still up over his head.<p>

He froze as his gaze locked with hers and Sousuke felt his pulse suddenly accelerate. Her finger twitched nervously, tightening on the revolver's trigger.

"You!" She bit out. "Where is she? That girl you've been with!"

Sousuke couldn't remember her name but immediately knew the situation had just gotten ten times worse. "What girl?"

The trigger finger tensed again. There was a squeak of tennis shoes above them. It caused the police officer to swing and lift her pistol toward the noise. Her sights came up on Kaname. Sensing an opportunity Sousuke grabbed the revolver and twisted it out of her hand and slammed his elbow into her gut. She gasped for breath and the policewoman stumble back into the other officer. Within a second the police issue revolver was sighted in on the woman that had brandished it.

"Stand down!" Tessa yelled.

The two police officers starred in shock as Sousuke lowered the pistol and scowled. _She threatened Kaname, what a worthless police officer._

"Officer Wakana…" Kaname huffed. "We meet again."

_Wakana, that's her name. She shot at me more than once I should…_ His fingers tapped the frame of the revolver as he fought down the instinct to lift the gun back on the police officer.

"Give it back!" Wakana roared and lunged forward. Sousuke sidestepped and heard stifled laughter as the police officer slammed into the wall.

"Return officer Wakana's service weapon." The other police officer called out, irritation now filling his voice. "Now."

"Do it Sousuke." Tessa ordered.

Sousuke scowled, opened the pistol, ejected its cartridges, and closed the frame before spinning it around in his hand and holding it out to her butt first. "This way she won't shoot me at least."

Wakana growled as she tore the revolver from his hand and glanced at the cartridges now lying on the floor. She slammed the pistol back into her hip holster and glared at Sousuke. "Adding murder to your repertoire? Hoping a big Yakuza gang will take you in?"

"Negative, I have found the local yakuza to be rather incompetent."

Kaname slapped her forehead with the palm of her hand. "Sousuke…"

"Incompetent?" Wakana arched an eyebrow. "So you're planning on working somewhere else? Let's see some identification."

Sousuke glanced at Tessa and saw her nod slightly. Letting out a long sigh he pulled out his wallet and removed an identification card. As he lifted it into view of the two officers, they blanched. He was holding his Mithril ID.

A smile tugged at the corner of Tessa's mouth. "If you check the identification of these two, I suspect you will find multiple IDs all false. The American CIA does not normally issue identification cards for field agents."

"CIA?" Wakana gaped at the platinum blonde girl for a long moment then bit her lip and growled. "A… All… All of you are under arrest! We'll take you all down to the station and sort this out."

* * *

><p><strong>28 March 2000, 11:10 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Parking Lot, Mansion K Apartments**

Zalad Farzen stood at the far end of the apartments, his grey eyes sweeping the area with his gaze. Seeing no one that seemed to be a threat at the moment, his attention returned to the police cruisers that sat near the complex's office. He involuntarily stiffened as he watched a police woman leading a man with messy brown-black hair and pewter eyes toward a cruiser.

_Kashim… so you are alive._ A smile slipped across Zalad's face as he saw the man's weary gaze flick amongst the crowd. Automatically Zalad pulled the cap down low over his face as he felt his old friend's gaze sweep over him. Being identified by someone in police custody would not help his mission. _What did he do now?_

A few steps behind Kashim, was a Japanese girl who looked thin and lithe. Her hair was a long blue-black and tied with a red ribbon. Her brown eyes swept the crowd as well as another officer pushed her toward the backseat. He felt his heart rate race as the woman's face locked on his for a moment, and her lips pursed faintly. Zalad watched her gaze flick between Kashim and himself and then she shook her head.

The two of them, were pushed into the back of one police cruiser as Zalad watched. _The girl, she matches the description of Miss Chidori._ A smirk slipped across his face as he saw the first police cruiser drive away. _You are one damn lucky bastard Kashim._ Then his gaze flicked to the rest of the crowd being led toward the other cars. _How many people did you get in trouble this time?_

* * *

><p>Kaname let out a long-suffering sigh as she sat in the back of the police cruiser beside Sousuke. Cuffed as the two of them were, the seats were extremely uncomfortable despite the way the benches had been designed specifically for cuffed passengers. She bit her lip and glanced at Officer Wakana in the driver's seat. "I'm the daughter of a United Nations department head. Don't I get diplomatic immunity or something?"<p>

"No… you're a damn little thief is what you are missy." Wakana said before turning out on the road that led alongside the Tama River.

"Miss Chidori is not a thief. I have known her for over two years and never once seen her steal either through fiscal manipulation or physical altercation." Sousuke stated. "I only stole the bicycle due to extreme circumstances and fully intended to return the bikes if you had not destroyed them during your manic attempt to arrest us."

"Shut it!" Wakana yelled. "I finally got you, and I'm going to make sure you pay for how you damaged my career!"

"Baka." Kaname said in a low voice, not sure which of the two idiots in the car with her that she was referring to. _Maybe both._

"Miss Chidori is not lying about her diplomatic status…" Sousuke stated.

"Well then I'll let her go when it's confirmed, but you! I bet you thought it was brilliant faking an identification card from that mercenary group! Ha! No forgery like that is going to fool me." She let out a manic laugh and Kaname bit her lip trying to ignore the similarity between it and her own nervous laughter.

"It is not a forgery." Sousuke muttered then leaned back in the seat and grunted. "This is the second time I've been lead around in cuffs in two weeks. I believe the American MPs preferred plastic zip ties to this metal sort." There was a click and Kaname glanced over at him just in time to see the cuffs slip off his wrists and into the recess in the back seat.

Kaname smirked and whispered. "Are you already planning a daring escape Sousuke?"

"Negative… they were beginning to hurt my wrists." He paused and gave her a slight smile which made Kaname's heart flutter for a moment. "I think Tessa believes it would be better and perhaps safer for all of us if we cooperated with the authorities."

"She doesn't know Wakana though…" Kaname muttered as the cruiser's wheels squealed from a sudden turn. She yelped as the acceleration forced her back in the seat. "Don't wreck another car before you even get us to the station!"

* * *

><p><strong>28 March 2000, 11:35 hrs<strong>

**Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan**

**Ministry of Foreign Affairs**

Jerome Borda smiled faintly as he closed the holo-projector. "As you can see we can offer you significant benefits if we are allowed the sanctuary to continue to operate as a safe haven for Whispered individuals." Glancing around the meeting room, he met the eyes of each of the ministers. "I would not extend this offer to any other nation. Japan's foreign policy and constitutional requirement of non-aggression alone allow me to comfortably offer such technological advancements. It is our hope that more than just military technology can be pulled from the whispers, but those specialists we have identified thus far are more proficient in those areas. Perhaps in time, and given a broader base of research staff and as more whispered seek the sanctuary we offer, the technological benefits we can offer your nation will broaden. But until that time, these specialties alone are our offering."

The Ministers glanced at each other, their expressions thoughtful as Minister K ōno stood at the opposite end of the long table, his hands tapping the tabletop as he stared back at the former American Admiral. "The repercussions of such an agreement go well and beyond the discretionary powers normally wielded by those of our office. The foreign policy repercussions alone bare great consideration and would, under normal circumstances, require a great deal of debate within the Diet for us to come to an agreement. Unfortunately the speed of American response has made it clear that such time is not available to us."

"It is after all, highly likely that the daughter of one of our most prominent citizens herself is under threat from this outburst of American aggression." The Foreign Minister's grave statement made Jerome pause, before he nodded.

"Our most current information indicates that Miss Kaname Chidori is under surveillance by the American CIA. She has already been the victim of multiple kidnapping attempts for her abilities." Jerome Borda confirmed. "They could move at any time."

There were nods around the table as each minister registered the truth of what Kōno had said. His gaze drifted around the table and he straightened. "I believe we should accept this offer, but before we formally do what resources and legal protections will be required."

"Our operatives will need to be allowed a full variety of military equipment, licensing, and immunity to any crimes they would have to commit in their duties." The Admiral said.

"Crimes?" One of the ministers asked.

"Our operatives can't be prosecuted if they are forced to kill those that threaten their charges… Murder is after all a crime, there are also a number of other laws that they will almost certainly need to regularly circumvent… the movement of munitions, rescue of kidnapped persons from other nations, and military research itself all have a wide variety of international treaties and legal regulations that come into play for example." Jerome Borda said.

"I see." The minister that had spoken up said quietly. "I can quite understand that, and our current agreement with Mithril should hold until the new rules are in place."

Minister Kōno nodded. "Mister Borda, I believe we have a deal, I will have some clerks prepare the formal documents cementing your new legal status and the protections offered to you and former members of Mithril that join this new organization."

* * *

><p><strong>28 March 2000, 11:50 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Tamagawa Police Station**

Officer Wakana glared with absolute hatred at the computer screen before her, her fingers crouched over the keyboard. Laid across the top of her keyboard were a set of identification cards that she'd been given. Her gaze flicked across the words to the screen comparing them again and again.

_Sergeant Sousuke Sagara, Mithril_

_Mithril ID…_

"It is not possible!" Wakana shook the computer monitor in frustration. "He's a criminal! I know he's a criminal!"

Across from her, another officer glanced up, his hands frozen lifting a load of yakisoba to his mouth. After staring for a moment, he shrugged and went back to eating.

Wakana seethed as she picked up another identification card and held it in her hands for a long moment before entering a long string of letters and numbers into the computer. A few seconds later, it beeped and another set of detailed records appeared on the computer.

_Sagara Sousuke_

_Last Known Address: Tiger Mansion – Apartment 505, Tamagawa_

_Police Records…_

A smile slid across her face. "Why aren't you in jail huh?"

* * *

><p>Kaname sighed and leaned against the metal table in the middle of the room. She leaned her forehead against her palm and sighed. <em>At least the Americans aren't about to raid a police station. Now that would cause an international incident.<em> Kaname smirked faintly at the thought of Americans facing the crazy police officer.

"Kaname?" Sousuke asked from beside her. "Is something amusing?"

"I was just imagining Wakana fighting off hordes of Americans." Kaname said with a wicked grin. "Perhaps steering her to be between us and them should be something we considered."

Sousuke raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you certain she wouldn't just hand us over to them?"

Kaname's face fell and she bit her lip. "She might, wouldn't she?" Silence fell over them for a long moment. They were alone, cuffed to the table like some sort of dangerous criminal.

"It would be exceedingly difficult to escape if we remained cuff." Sousuke flexed his wrist and Kaname heard the manacles pop. "Or perhaps not."

The door banged open and officer Wakana stumbled inside with a large binder filled with papers in her hands. Kaname felt her mouth fall open at the look of triumph on her face as Wakana dropped the binder before them with a bang and it bounced off the tabletop.

"Sagara Sousuke… just how many people did you have to bribe to keep out of jail? Hmm?" Wakana's eyes glinted with malice as she thumped the top of the binder with her knuckles. "I asked for the file on you, and got so many incident reports that I felt the need to fill this…"

Kaname dropped her face to the tabletop with a thud and groaned.

Wakana opened the binder and grinned. "Let's see what all we have in here… illegal possession of firearms, illegal possession of explosive materials, bombing Jindai High School's shoe lockers, multiple allegations of assault, property damage, and… use of a biological weapon?"

Sousuke had gone white in the face as Wakana pursed her lips and flipped through the pages. "Perhaps I should add conspiring with Yakuza, possession of military equipment, and assaulting a peace officer."

"I admit that a partial record of my… activities in Japan would certainly give the appearance that I am some form of criminal… or terrorist, but I am neither." Sousuke stated. "I have never paid off any member of the Japanese government… any agreement that resulted in the 'hushing up' of such incidents was between my employers and the Japanese government." Sousuke's expression turned mask like. "You must have confirmed my identity and association with Mithril by now… perhaps you have refused to inform your superiors of our identity?"

As Sousuke spoke he laid his hands atop the desk. "Your files do not include the lives I have saved while stationed in Japan. How many hundreds would have died if the Behemoth mech had continued to roam Tokyo unmolested? How about the JAL flight, which was diverted to North Korea with myself and Miss Chidori aboard?"

Kaname sat upright and glanced at Sousuke for a moment before smirking slightly. _He's telling her just enough to lead her to her own false conclusions._

Officer Wakana glared back at the Sousuke, her eyes narrowed in anger and disbelief. "So what are you saying? You're some sort of super commando?"

Kaname couldn't help but snort as she heard that and felt Wakana's gaze flick over to her for a moment.

"I am a military special forces operative." Sousuke stated flatly. "The term 'super-commando' is not one in use by the military. I am considered top tier, better than the standards of most nation's tier one Special Forces."

Wakana's lip twitched in irritation. "If you are so skilled, perhaps you'd like to escape from the center of this police station."

"That would cause an incident I'd rather avoid, and Miss Chidori pointed out to me earlier, that if the government is still following the agreement it held with Mithril, we may well be safer inside this office with a double-layer of police security around us then out on the streets of Tokyo." Sousuke smirked slightly. "You may be able to convince the government to hold us for our own protection, but I doubt they will ever throw us in jail for the death of an espionage agent of a foreign power on their soil."

* * *

><p>In another interrogation room just down the hall, Officer Yamashita sat down opposite the longhaired man of Japanese descent. Between them, a small pile of documents was spread out over the table driver's license, permits, and identifications of all sorts holding only a few similarities… the image of the man on the photo and his vital statistics. A few matched each other forming an identity and some checking revealed a paper trail.<p>

Slowly he leaned back in the seat. "Who are you?"

The long-haired man glanced at him and shrugged, his mouth shut tightly.

"Your associate is dead. His killer claimed that you are CIA. Do you have anything to say that refutes that claim?" Yamashita said.

The long-haired man remained silent.

Yamashita tapped his finger on the table. "I see…" He stood and opened the door. "What do you want with Mr. Sagara?"

He remained silent.

"Or was Miss Chidori your target?" The man stayed silent and Yamashita sighed. "She is the daughter of a United Nations diplomat you know? I doubt the White House will be able to cover up their involvement even with your silence, now that we've searched your apartment."

The man stirred, his brow furrowed. "It doesn't matter."

* * *

><p>Teletha Testarossa toyed with her braided hair in one of the interrogation rooms. Across from her sat one of the police officers, paging through the documents she had given them. His face was an unreadable mask that didn't betray any emotion or irritation. Considering the looks Officer Wakana had been giving Sousuke, she doubted that he was having as easy of a time.<p>

The interrogator finally stirred as he finished the last page. "Hmm… Miss Testarossa, as you are almost certainly aware the only reference to you in our databases comes from the school records of Jindai High School, records which apparently are based on at least partially fraudulent data."

Tessa swallowed. "Yes sir."

"Surely you understand that we must contact your mother country…"

Tessa felt a surge of panic. "No, please don't!" She felt her hands quake and she hurriedly flattened the palms atop the table. "They'll send me to a lab, to Groom Lake. I'll be little more than a lab rat!"

The interrogator arched an eyebrow. "I have a hard time believing that the United States would do such a thing as you suggest…" Tessa swallowed nervously and glanced down at the table as he watched her. "Though considering recent events, I may have to reconsider my impression of that nation."

She began to play with her hands nervously. "Could I… have a phone call?"

The interrogator arched an eyebrow and pulled his phone from his pocket. He slid it over the desk to her. "Ten minutes."

"Thank you." She said quietly. Her fingers trembled slightly before typing in a number and hitting dial. Lifting it to her ear she took a calming breath, and the phone began to ring.

* * *

><p><strong>28 March 2000, 12:15 hrs<strong>

**Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan**

**Ministry of Foreign Affairs**

Admiral Borda let out a sigh of relief as the doors opened and a number of younger staff walked inside, one group maneuvered their way around the table setting small-boxed lunches before the assembled ministers and dignitaries. Another group carried a set of documents held within simple leather cases that could be used as reference for the agreement he had put forth.

As the staff worked their way around, the intercom before Minister Kōno beeped and the old minister stared at the device for a long moment. Then he tapped a button and Borda heard a rapid-fire conversation follow in Japanese. He caught the word 'Testarossa' amongst the exchanged and stared as the minister's gaze flicked over to him. Then he sighed and leaned back in the chair. "Mr. Borda, it seems an associate of yours is in distress and attempted to contact my office, a Miss Testarossa?"

"I see… is she still on the line?" Admiral Borda answered quietly.

Kōno nodded and tapped the intercom again. "This is Minister Kōno along with the Security Council and Mr. Borda, how can I be of assistance Miss Testarossa?"

A soft voice answered from the phone and Borda swallowed recognizing Tessa's tone. "I apologize most fervently for interrupting your meeting, but I believe that my situation and the events that led up to my current predicament have a great deal of bearing."

One by one, the ministers turned toward the speakerphone, some looked curious, others looked angry, but most had the unreadable masks worn by professional politicians on their faces.

"Earlier this morning, Operative Sousuke Sagara of Mithril encountered two operatives of the American Central Intelligence Agency outside the home of Miss Kaname Chidori. He engaged those operatives, incapacitating one and engaging in a gunfight with the other. That operative was killed in combat moments before the local police arrived. Miss Chidori, Mr. Sagara, Miss Miller, and I are currently being held at the Tamagawa Police Department for questioning and… the local police are talking of informing my 'mother country.'" Her voice turned a bit shrill. "Admiral, I won't let them take me back… not if they're turning into something like Amalgam!"

Minister Kōno scowled. "We'll get this agreement hammered out as soon as possible, in the mean time I will contact the office and insure that information about your arrest and the spies you caught lurking around Miss Chidori's residence."

"Thank you Minister." Tessa said as her voice filling with relief. "I should say one of the officers here seems to have a bit of a vendetta against Mr. Sagara… but I do not think there is anything she can pin on him with an agreement in progress."

* * *

><p><strong>27 March 2000, 22:45 hrs<strong>

**Chantilly, State of Virgina, United States**

**National Reconnaissance Office**

It was nearly the graveyard shift as the image analysts sat at their computers watching line after line of code, commands, and image after image appearing on their screens. Most of the time they didn't even have to bother looking at the images being brought in by satellite, since the open ocean held so little of interest and over seventy percent of the globe's surface was water.

Behind one of the monitors the coordinators between Langley, the National Reconnaissance Office, and Joint Special Operations Command were huddled. The JSOC coordinator scratched at his army uniform as a series of infrared images appeared, one after another. The analyst glanced back at the officers as a single building was marked by what looked almost like a camera flash through the infrared camera. "The strobe is in place and target is marked."

The coordinator nodded. "Tap-dance encode it and send it to JSOC. The White House wants this done before things turn even worse for us in the diplomatic field."

"Yes sir." The analyst said as he started typing out the commands, not bothering to wonder what the hell the White House was interested in an apartment building in Japan for.

* * *

><p><strong>28 March 2000, 13:30 hrs<strong>

**Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan**

**Ministry of Foreign Affairs**

Admiral Jerome Borda slowly read over the intricate translated legalese of the document before him. His lips pursed in thought as he slowly turned the page and finished. Around the table the ministers and their staff waited for his response. Slowly he sat it down on the table and smiled. "Excellent, you've actually exceeded my expectations Minister Kōno."

"Then, with your signature and my own the agreement between the newly-formed military research group Sword and Shield and the Nation of Japan will be fully formalized." Minister Kōno stated as a clerk set a pin before him. With practiced ease the minister signed the document before him while Borda signed his own copy. A clerk swapped the two and Borda signed his name again before the clerk rolled a wooden press over their signatures to dry them and snapped the leather cases of each document shut.

Kōno stood as Borda did and the two of them gave a short bow to each other from across the table. Then Kōno walked around the table and clasped Borda's hand in a shake. "You've proven to be a more reliable ally then your enemies."

"Thank you minister." Borda said with a hint of amusement.

Kōno nodded and turned from him to one of his aides. "I will make some calls and ensure that your people are released. It would not do for us to keep our allies locked up as if they were some foreign devils."

"Thank you."

"The guards outside will see you to your hotel." The minister smiled. "It has been a pleasure meeting you Admiral Borda."

* * *

><p><strong>28 March 2000, 14:07 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Tamagawa Police Station**

Melissa Mao sat in the waiting area of the police station, one hand cuffed to a char while she tossed a baseball in the air, bored from the wait. Beside her, Kurz Weber sat cuffed to the same chair as she was, a disgruntled and bored expression playing across his model like features.

Across from their seats, they could see the police officers working through computer records, typing up reports, and working on various other cases. In the back of the office, they could see the chief's glass office and an elderly man in the normal police uniform working on paperwork. The phone beside his elbow rang and giving a disgruntled expression, he picked up the receiver.

A door to the interrogation rooms opened with a bang and Melissa watched the brown haired woman that had arrested Sousuke come into the room, a large binder under her arm. She dropped it on her desk and sat down, her eyes glittering maliciously as she glanced at them.

"Babe?" Kurz asked from beside her. Surprised by the sudden question Melissa glanced at him just as she had been about to catch the ball which bounced off the linoleum and rolled out of reach

"Fuck!" Melissa growled as her only source of distraction rolled beneath an office table. She glared at Kurz. "What?"

"Sorry, geez… I was just going to ask if you thought they'd let us go." Kurz said, seemingly leaning away from her as if she'd turned into some poisonous viper.

Melissa glanced away and glared at the police officer behind the desk that the ball had disappeared under. "They better, or I'm busting out. Tessa be damned."

"Really?" Kurz asked.

"Yeah, and you better too… a pretty boy like you wouldn't do to well in prison." Melissa turned a predatory smile on him and Kurz swallowed audibly. "Unless you really do swing that way, in which case we'll be having a long discussion in which I cut off your balls and use your tubes for dental floss."

"Understood!" Kurz whimpered before adding in a quiet voice. "Babe, you know I don't swing that way…"

"I know." Melissa smirked before glancing back at the police officers at work. "I need a fucking smoke."

"Wakana!" A voice bellowed from the police chief's office and the brown haired woman froze before slowly turning toward the police chief. Melissa listened in, her smirk widening into a feral grin as she watched the woman that had arrested Sousuke look rather disturbed. "My office: now!"

The female police officer scrambled toward the door, knocking the heavy binder from the desk as she did so, sending a cloud of papers flying in all directions. As the door slammed shut behind the two of them, one of the other police officers shook his head. "Why can't we just fire her and get it over with?"

* * *

><p>"Chief?" Wakana asked as she stood before the desk. She'd been in this position before, more times than she wanted to count. It seemed as though no matter what she did, she'd bring disgrace on the police that works alongside her.<p>

"The criminal investigation of Sagara Sousuke, Chidori Kaname, Testarossa Teletha, Weber Kurz, and Mao Melissa is hereby over. The ministers have decided that they have acted in the best interests of our nation and are free to go," the chief said as he clasped his hands behind his back. "You will let them go, their weapons will be returned, and their names removed from the arrest records of this department."

Wakana's eyes grew wider with each statement as her hands clenched and unclenched. Fury burned in her eyes. "Chief, they are…"

"Not your concern anymore." The police chief stated flatly, but as it continued on it began to rise in pitch and get a head of steam. "Go do it, or I swear I'll fire you from this department Wakana!"

Her fury died as the threat of being forcibly discharged again raised its head and she scurried out of the office. "Yes, sir!"

* * *

><p>Sousuke sighed as he leaned back in the chair of the interview room, Kaname sat beside him making the same bored expression. He'd seen that expression quite a bit over the year he was assigned to guard her... it was almost always present in English class, the one class that both Kaname and himself agreed he had no need to really study in.<p>

"She hasn't come back," Kaname said before yawning and settling her head in her hand.

Sousuke nodded and tapped the table. After a moment, he froze as he heard the tumble of a key in the lock and his attention riveted to the door. A moment later a flush Officer Wakana tore open the door and stomped inside.

He watched her pace once, reminding him of a large jungle cat caught in a cage. Then she stopped and pulled a handcuff key from her pocket. "I've been ordered to let the two of you go!"

Kaname flinched as Wakana slammed a fist on the table and glared at him with a wild look in her eyes. "If I catch either of you causing trouble again, I will bring you in and charge you with every single crime I have on the both of you, is that understood?"

"Yes ma'am," Sousuke answered automatically and looked up at the wild-eyed police woman. "We shall endeavor to avoid further encounters."

"Cuffs?" She snapped and held out a hand to unlock them when Sousuke just set the two pairs of handcuffs on the table already unlocked. "You... picked them?"

"Sprung them, they are rather uncomfortable. Perhaps the police force should consider zip-cuffs, they weigh less and are in many cases more effective," Sousuke said.

"Just, get out! Get out of my sight!" Wakana yelled and pointed to the door and the two of them bolted.

"Freedom!" Kanama yelled in English as she slid to a stop in the waiting room and found Kurtz and Melissa waiting for them. After a few moments, Tessa and the others that had been brought in joined them.

Kurtz smirked. "I guess our freedom is thanks to you Tessa-chan?"

"Weber-san, it did not take much... just a phone call," Tessa answered with a smile before walking to the door. "Let's go home before something happens to make them change their minds about releasing us."

"Understood." Sousuke said as he pulled open the door and held it for the others.

"Wait… I have been ordered to return your equipment," one of the officers said as he hurried to them with a pair of metal cases. Sousuke stopped as Melissa opened one of the cases and pulled out his Glock 17. Soon they all had their weapons and other equipment in hand… though one whole case had been dedicated to Sousuke's gear.

"Is that everything?" Kurtz asked with a smirk before thrusting his hands in his pockets and rocking on his heels.

"Yes." Sousuke stated.

"Then let's go," Mao said. "Before they decide to change their mind."

Tessa nodded and headed out the door, "Please, what could happen that could complicate this any further for them?"

As the door banged behind them, Sousuke froze in place as he saw an tanned man standing before them with a satchel hanging from his side. A baseball cap topped his head and a sly smirk slide across his face.

"Kashim… it's been a long time." He said.


	21. Chapter 19: The Courier

**Sword and Shield**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 19:<strong> The Courier

* * *

><p><strong>Courier <strong>1. _n._ A person who looks after and guides tourists. 2. _n. _A person who delivers messages. 3. _n._ A company that delivers messages. 4. _n._ A company that transports goods. 5. _v._ To deliver by courier.

* * *

><p><strong>28 March 2000, 14:35 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Tamagawa Police Station Parking Lot**

Sousuke's mouth dropped open in surprise at the teen before him. "Farzen? Farzen Zalad?"

"Yes… it's been years Kashim! It really is you, you old war dog! We heard you died…" Farzen said as he stepped forward then smiled toward Kaname, "…and this… this must be the Angel I was told to contact!"

"Sagara, who is this guy?" Tessa asked from the back of the group and Sousuke stiffened slightly before answering.

"This is Farzen Zalad, I knew him from Afghanistan… he was a courier for Bdakistan's Tiger," Sousuke said.

"Still am!" Farzen said with a grin. "A while back we found a survivor from the battle at the northern border… an arm-slave pilot. She said that you were dead."

Sousuke's jaw clenched and he glanced around the group. "Who was the pilot?"

"She… I believe her name was Sabine."

Kaname stiffened and glared at Farzen while Melissa Mao arched an eyebrow. "I thought I killed her."

"She was badly injured when she was brought in… As a member of Amalgam, she wasn't really an enemy of ours." Farzen shrugged. "She offered to assist in the training of arm-slave pilots, in exchange for the medical care and payment."

"So you took her in… she told of the MIRV strike on Merida Island and you thought I was dead." Sousuke stated.

"Yes, well…" Farzen scratched the back of his head and shrugged again. "She was most adamant she had killed you, I believe she wished to make an attempt on Massoud when she realized who he was. I think she has a vendetta against you Kashim."

Kaname sighed. "No, her vendetta is against me, she wants to hurt me in any possible way she can."

"So she strikes on your loved ones Kashim, because you have her?" Farzen asked. "You really are one lucky bastard."

"Farzen!" Sousuke snapped grumpily. "This is not the ideal place for a discussion. We can talk once we're back at the apartment."

Tessa suddenly stiffened. "Al… we left Al alone! What if someone broke in and stole him?"

* * *

><p><strong>28 March 2000, 14:40 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 404, Mansion K Apartments**

"Hello? Is anyone there?" Al's artificial voice echoed through the empty apartment and the AI fell silent. "I did not realize how boring my existence would be without humans to interact with."

The AI didn't make a sound of discontent, it had not quite learned to make such audio stimuli as a sigh or groan, those things came naturally to humans and it had not yet figured out when it would be proper to use them as an AI. It had compiled a great deal of data for it from watching the interactions in the room, but still did not feel comfortable integrating that information into its own programming.

Still there was nothing for the AI to do without humans to observe and learn from. The AI began to run combat simulations in its boredom, observing that even this was quickly becoming repetitive without an unpredictable opponent like a similar artificial intelligence or human mind to struggle against. After an hour, the AI gave up on that means of alleviating boredom and activated the wireless receiver built into its case.

The AI skimmed through the internet, searching, reading, analyzing, and considering a thousand different ideas a moment before the rattle of the door's lock drew its attention back to the room.

With a clack, the door unlocked and a Chinese looking woman stepped inside, an eyebrow arched as she stepped over the collection of shoes by the door and closed it behind her. The AI compared her face to dozens of others before identifying it and decided to play a bit of a prank on the unsuspecting woman.

"Hmm... still gone." Wraith muttered as she stalked over to the table, flipped through a couple sets of papers, and frowned. "Typical..."

Al skimmed through its music files before downloading the original bond theme song and starting it playing at a barely audible volume. His webcam focused on Wraith, studying her expression as she shut a couple magazines and stood up. Her eyebrow twitched slightly and she glanced toward his case.

Al slowly began to up the volume as Wraith approached the case and scowled at it. She was about to tap it when his voice echoed from its innards. "Wraith, I appreciate that you are here. It has been rather boring without anyone here."

"Al! You damn box of circuits." Wraith snapped as she jumped. "Do not startle someone that's armed, bad things tend to happen."

"Affirmative, Sergeant Sagara has been a exceptional example of that when I've seen him. It amazes me that both Melissa Mao and Kurz Weber continue to tease and prank him." Al stated.

Wraith sighed and sat down at the table. "So... you're here by your lonesome then?"

"Affirmative."

"You've spent too much time around Sagara." Wraith muttered before leaning back in the seat. "I guess I'll hang out here and make sure you're here when they get back."

"Thank you." Al stated flatly. "I have a question."

"Yes?"

"I have noticed that humans have a great variety of reactions to stimuli... are you all so different from each other? I attempted to classify humans into different types and the result was... messy." Al stated. "There are also statements that Sousuke makes in battle that he refuses to explain at times."

Wraith arched an eyebrow at the AI and shook her head. "We're chaotic creatures Al... each of us have a different upbringing, different experiences. I'm sure if we copied your programming into a couple different AIs and wiped the memories of each they would end up just as different after a couple years."

"Understood. Is that why Sergeant Sagara is so different from the others? Even other military personnel do not function in the same manner he does."

"Probably... but sometimes humans are just wired different."

"Wired? Colloqualism meaning mental programming or distinct nature." The AI stated. "I believe I understand... the Sergeant's duty record suggests far more experience than any other Mithril Operative I have dealt with. Miss Chidori on the other hand has far less experience then the average..."

"That depends on what you define as experience Al." Wraith said. "The Sergeant has a lot more experience fighting wars, but much less experience living in peacetime. He had experience with the Afghan, Military, Russian, and Vietnamese culture before his deployment here. There are sufficient differences that he hasn't been able to adjust just yet. Kaname has spent most of her life in either America or Japan living a civilian life, though she tends to embrace the American culture more than the Japanese one... she is a free spirit by nature." Wraith tapped the table after a moment. "The fact that she is sharing this apartment with Sousuke is rather un-Japanese, but then she spent a large part of her early life and development inside the United States until returning just a few years ago."

"I have observed this... however I do not understand how it is that the Japanese have a name to describe her nature when the American's do not... She is tsundere."

Wraith laughed. "Yes she is. But, you see the Japanese tend to do more classification and defining of people then the Americans. The thing is that the Japanese have a rather... constraining and rigid set of social norms, this often causes a tendency for polarization.  
>People conform or blatantly reject and rebel against those norms. Kaname and her friends are more open than most, I suspect it is because of the more liberal nature of Jindai High School's administration... and adaption to the presence of a personality as foreign as Sagara Sousuke."<p>

"I believe I understand." Al stated. "One would have thought that the martial upbringing and stoic nature would have been an asset… if not for his ignorance of everything outside of warfare and the military."

"Very good assessment," Wraith said. The door opened and Wraith froze. "Shit."

Sousuke burst into the room and rolled behind a chair before pointing his Glock straight at Wraith. Behind him was a teen with a dark complexion that was pulling a Krinkov from a green satchel that hung from his side. Wraith wiped out her own pistol and leveled it at the teen.

"Stand down Sergeant." Al stated.

Sousuke's gaze flicked to the case and softened slightly before he lowered his pistol. "Put it away Farzen... she's on our side."

The teen put away the AK-74SU Krinkov as Kaname stepped into the room. She picked up one of the indoor slippers from the doorway and clapped it over Sousuke's head. "We do not need the police to show up again."

Farzen laughed as Sousuke rubbed the back of his head and scowled. "I was worried the CIA had followed up and was inside."

"Fine." Kaname sighed. "You're right..." She dropped the slipper back beside the others and bent to remove her shoes.

Farzen chuckled as he began to unlace his boots. "You have a real lively one Kashim."

"She has to be to handle him." Melissa Mao's voice came from beyond the door. Tessa rolled her eyes as Sarah Miller hurried over toward Al.

"I'm sorry Al! I completely forgot, are you okay?" She asked as she ran over to the case.

"I am fine. It is not a problem Sarah." Al answered as Farzen stared at her.

"Who is she talking to?" He asked.

"Al... he's an AI." Sousuke said as he sat down and started to disassemble his pistol.

"A what?"

Sousuke rubbed his forehead and pursed his lips. "I guess there is no translation... he's a computer: a very smart computer."

"Thank you Sergeant."

Farzen rolled his eyes as he stood. "You are a rather strange bunch, do you know that?"

"Affirmative."

* * *

><p><strong>28 March 2000, 15:40 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Tamagawa Police Station**

The other police officers cowered behind their desks and duties as Wakana paced behind her desk, a wild look in her eyes. They all remembered when the officer had gone wild after hearing of an attack on the Yakuza by Bonta-kun, grabbed a pair of P90 personal defense weapons, and sprayed the ceiling with a hundred rounds of 5.7x28mm ammunition.

They were all wary of a repeat now that an apparent criminal that she had a vendetta with had been let go without even a warning or complaint about his actions. Then the woman came to a stop before the door to the interview room and snarled in frustration.

"Damn... damn... damn!" She ran a hand through her hair and spun to the door. "I was so focused on the bloody super-commando I forgot about the spy!"

She banged through the door and stomped down the hall to the last interview room and wrenched open the door. The police officer in charge of this interview looked up and blanched. "Wakana?"

"Out!" She roared and the senior officer scurried away, unwilling to confront the wild woman of the station. As the door banged shut behind him the long-haired man looked up at her and stared. "Now... what do you want with Sagara and his... associates?"

The man stared silently at her before she slammed down the heavy binder full of Sagara's crimes onto the table.

"This is what Sagara has done in this country, crimes of all sorts that have been forgiven in the name of national security. What is he guarding, what do you want with him?" She wiped away a bit of spittle from her mouth before glaring at the CIA agent. "So... you're going to do the whole silen act? What are you Yakuza?" She scoffed before laughing. "Who am I kidding? A Yakuza would have pissed himself already!"

She pulled a black baton from her belt. "Now... time to get serious."

"You must be joking..." the long-haired CIA agent said quietly. "I've been trained to resist all sorts of torture."

"No doubt," She said and gave him a predatory style. "That just means I'll have to be a bit more inventive." Then she leaned toward him and tapped the baton to her shoulder. With a press of her thumb it extended out and electricity began to crackle along its length. "Now... what do you want with Sagara Sousuke?"

* * *

><p><strong>28 March 2000, 16:42 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 404, Mansion K Apartments**

Farzen bent over the coffee table and flipped through the picture book, a smile slowly slipping across his face. "I am surprised... you found pictures of him from way back, Miss Chidori."

"Kazama found them... he's a bit of a military otaku like Sousuke, ran across them online." Kaname said as she sat down a mug of green tea at the table and pursed her lips. "There are not many pictures of him from the time he was with you in Afghanistan, are there?"

"No... we weren't the sort to have many pictures, in fact the supplies used to develop pictures are usually repurposed, to make cheap ammunition." Farzen said quietly. He stopped and a slight smile played across his lips. "I am actually in here... I... I'm stunned! I did not know this picture existed!"

Tessa leaned over the courier's shoulder and stared at the image that showed a cluster of men talking and joking with Ahmad Shah Massoud. Kaname handed her a mug of hot tea before joining Tessa in studying the picture.

"That is Massoud, Kashim, me..." His finger roved around the picture pointing to each person as he spoke. "Kashim was such a stoic fellow... he seems to have mellowed quite a bit thanks to you Miss Chidori." He glanced up at the girls. "Not that he isn't still a crazy military machine."

"Farzen... you best not be telling stories." Sousuke stated as he stepped into the room carrying a rag, which was covered with gun oil. In his other hand was the frame of one of the Glocks.

"Me?" Farzen laughed. "I doubt you told them anything did you Kashim." He stopped as he saw Sousuke flinch at the name. "Is there something wrong Kashim?"

"Please, do not call me that." Sousuke stated as he stepped toward the table and peered at the pictures. "Gauron called me that, it rather ruined the name to me."

Farzen's face fell slightly. "I apologize Sousuke, it's just that was the name Massoud gave you... it is the only name we heard you called except for when Kalinin spoke to you."

"I believe I can tolerate it if Ahmad chooses to call me that." Sousuke said before turning from the table. "I'll finish this and be right with you."

"He is still such a soldier..." Farzen observed before he sighed.

"Aren't you?" Kaname asked with a snort. "I noticed you have more than a letter in that satchel, don't?"

"Ah... well, I am a courier and sometimes even a courier must defend himself." Farzen ran a hand through his hair and laughed for a moment. "Admittedly... I would be in a great deal of trouble if the weapon was found on my person here, wouldn't I?"

Tessa took a sip from her tea and shrugged. Kaname nodded and sighed as a loud clack from a gun's action being worked echoed from another room. Sousuke reappeared with a fully assembled pistol in his hand and set the weapon on the end table before sitting down in one of the chairs.

"Sousuke..." Farzen flipped a page and heard Kaname snicker at the sight of one of the pictures. It showed Sousuke with an old AKM clasped in his hands and a gray cap topped his wild head of hair. The soviet rifle looked almost as big as he did in the picture. "What?"

"He looks cute." Kaname said brightly and grinned as she saw Kaname go red in the face and swallow. "What is that cap anyway?"

"It is a pakol..." Farzen said and grabbed his satchel. "I actually have one here..." He removed a grey pakol cap from the bag and showed it to the two girls. Then he glanced at Sousuke. "You have not been keeping your head covered."

"You know as well as I that I was never particularly fond of those traditions." Sousuke stated before shrugging. "I am not a very good Muslim."

Farzen snorted before Kaname grabbed the cap from his hands and walked up behind Sousuke. She pulled it down over his head, titled it, and smirked down at him. "It looks good on you, Sousuke."

Tessa giggled lightly as Farzen looked thunderstruck. "You can touch him?"

"Of course..." Kaname arched an eyebrow. "Is that weird?"

"Well... no one could touch him back home without... well... seeing the bonesetter afterward." Farzen said quietly. "You have truly worked a miracle Miss Chidori."

Kaname blushed fervently as Farzen snorted with laughter and leaned back on the couch. Tessa giggled as she sat on the end of the couch and stared at him.

"Kurz could not stop from touching me... I had to learn to hold back the impulse to strike him." Sousuke said still red in the face. "Kaname... accelerated the process."

"Well... as you guessed, I'm not just here for a social call." Farzen said with a sigh before closing the photo album and leaning back in his seat. "Majhid heard that you had died and that you had begun courting Miss Chidori..." Farzen's business like expression cracked as he smiled faintly at the two of them. "With Sousuke being... well Sousuke, Massoud took word of your death with a grain of salt. If you were alive, I was supposed to ask you to come home with me for a visit... Massoud is quite curious about the woman that tamed his cub."

Sousuke's expression darkened. "You are asking me to go back?"

"A family visit Sousuke, he does not say as much but I believe he misses you... It'll be nothing permanent of course." Farzen said quickly. "I can get you in and out no problem..."

"You understand you're asking me to bring Miss Chidori into a combat zone?" Sousuke ground his teeth together.

Kaname scowled. "It would not be the first time Sousuke, and you know I'd be safer with you there than here! Imagine if you were not here, would we even know the CIA was sneaking around?"

"Wraith could protect you." Sousuke said stiffly.

Tessa arched an eyebrow as Kaname snorted. "Really... she's done such a great job before? She's not you!"

Sousuke's gaze dropped to the tabletop and he took a deep breath.

"You just do not wish to introduce me to Massoud, do you?" Kaname said finally with a surprisingly calm voice. "You think he will not like me?"

"You..." Sousuke stuttered. "This is most difficult for me Kaname... You can only imagine just how different that world is... Not just how poor and... Desolate it is, but… How they treat women... I do not know if you could possibly be comfortable there."

"Sousuke..." Kaname groaned.

"You are as dangerous a female as the Aisha of the old stories." Farzen said with a smile. "A warrior in her own right, am I not right Sousuke?"

"She is not trained..." Sousuke growled. "I do not wish to risk her life, not again... I will not lose her again, never again!" He snapped and clenched his fists before taking a deep breath and tried to calm his nerves. "She is important... more important than me."

"Sousuke... and if I said I wanted to go?" Kaname said coolly and grabbed his hand. "There has been so much you have not told me, isn't there?"

Sousuke stared up at her, his pewter eyes glistening with pain and she caught a slight flicker of fear in his eyes, more than he ever seemed to display even in the heat of combat. "Kaname..."

"I would like to meet your father... this Ahmad Shah Massoud." Kaname said quietly. "I can handle deserts and soldiers now... how could I not after the last year?"

Sousuke gasped for breath and put a hand at his chest. Sweat ran down from his brow and he stared at her. "Kaname..."

"I am not the unmarred flower I once was... there is blood on my hands, more than either of us would ever wish to admit. I can survive in your world, maybe better than you can in mine." She smiled faintly at that and bent down beside him. She ran a hand through his hair and toyed with the pakol cap a moment before smiling at him. "Will you let me in?"

Sousuke's eyes flicked around nervously, reminding him of when the boy had been on the verge of a panic attack... She had seen that look before, the most blatant moment being when he'd been hunting down a perverted boy that had been posting images of her illegally on the internet. He really was afraid of how she'd react to his history, his world...

"Kaname..." He said in a broken voice and swallowed a lump in this throat. "Are you, are you certain?"

"Yes... Sousuke, I know you have a dark side... when I said I loved you, I knew it, and I have to admit... it was part of what attracted me to you." She sighed. "I will not be angry with you... okay?"

"Okay."

"Is it a problem?" She smiled faintly at him.

His eyes brightened for a moment. "No, it's not a problem."

* * *

><p><strong>28 March 2000, 20:00 hrs<strong>

**Yokota Air Base, Western Tokyo, Japan**

**1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta, Joint Special Operations Command**

In a briefing room at the base eight members of Delta Force were crowded over a set of satellite images and a trio of pictures. One showed the a girl with platinum blonde hair and grey eyes staring up at them, another had a dark haired Japanese teen with brown eyes smirking into a camera, and the third was a mug shot of a Japanese teen with wild brown hair and dark grey eyes.

He had the look of a tired veteran in the eyes of the Delta Force Operatives. Still they listened to the briefing, convinced that the three children couldn't possibly be a challenge to their skills.

"The target building is four stories high with a flat roof allowing for direct insertion. Team one will..."

Lieutenant John Elliot scribbled down notes as the briefing officer pointed to the satellite image and the single point of bright white that was the infrared strobe. Beside him Warrant Officer Curt Saxton did the same while the Delta Force Operators watched.

"Jump off will be 09:40 hours tomorrow, go code is Tartarus." The briefing officer stated flatly. "Touchdown will be at 09:55 hours, total mission elapse time should be no more than forty minutes."

A slight chill ran down his back as he heard those words and Lieutenant Elliot chewed his lip. "Curt… did you just get a big dose of déjà vu?"

"No… why?"

Elliot shook his head. "Nothing."

"Lieutenant?" The briefing officer called. "Is there something you want to share with the rest of us?"

"No sir." He snapped immediately.

"Good…" The briefing officer chewed his lip. "Since you're up to talking, you can fly the pass later tonight to see if the infrared strobe is still active."

"Shit…" Curt groaned beside him and Lieutenant Elliot shook his head and sighed.

* * *

><p><strong>28 March 2000, 22:52 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 404, Mansion K Apartments**

Kaname sighed and sat down on the couch beside Sousuke. She closed her eyes and leaned against him, exhaustion beginning to overwhelm her own sensibilities. Sousuke didn't shift away from her, he didn't even flinch, and in one of the seats Farzen observed the pair an amused smile played across his face before he stood.

"Well, I do not wish to intrude... so I'll be leaving." He said quietly.

Melissa glanced up from where she was washing one of the dishes and shrugged. "You have a place to stay?"

"Well... not exactly..." Farzen rubbed his neck and looked a bit disgruntled. "I don't exactly carry around money for that sort of thing... just enough to get to the contact, pass on the message, and leave. Since Sousuke doesn't have an answer yet... I'll be hanging around."

"We can get you a hotel room." Kurz said from where he stood beside Melissa drying dishes. "Our hotel is just across the river, even has line of sight on this place."

"Barely," Melissa said. "You can only see the place with one of your absurdly powerful scopes."

"Hey, they're not absurd!" Kurz snapped.

"Yeah... and you don't drift off watching the building to peek in windows, do you?" Melissa grumbled and Kurz flushed.

"Babe... please stop mentioning my flaws... I'm getting the impression you don't love me." Kurz said and yelped as Melissa swatted the back of his head.

Farzen watched the interaction in fascination and sat back. "What is it with the strong women around here..."

Tessa giggled quietly where she'd been whispering with Sarah and Al.

Melissa snorted. "You're not used to it Farzen?"

"Of course not... I'm from Afghanistan, the only women I fear are my mother and Sediqa." Farzen said with a slight smile.

"Everyone fears Sediqa," Sousuke muttered. "The Lion must sometimes yield to the Lioness after all."

"Who is Sediqa?" Melissa asked as she finished with the last dish and handed it to Kurz.

"General Majhid's wife," Sousuke said. "The only time I remember seeing him afraid was when she told him off for risking his life for something or another."

Kaname snuggled closer to him and Sousuke sighed, it seemed the girl had tuned out the conversation. Glancing at her he saw that she was on the verge of falling asleep. "Excuse me, it is late and Kaname seems to be struggling to remain amongst us." He shook her shoulder and watched her brown eyes flutter open. "You need to go to bed."

"No..." She grumbled and shook her head. "I'm comfortable here, is it a problem?"

"No." He answered before shifting slightly on the seat and letting out a sigh. "It has been a long day."

"CIA spies, a police interrogation, and Officer Wakana. Yeah, I'd say that's a long day." Melissa said from where she stood. "She's worse then the reports let on."

"She is rather insistant that I am a criminal." Sousuke shrugged.

"Well, you are..." Kurz finished putting away the last of the dishes and leaned against the counter. "How much property damage did you do to Jindai High School over the last two years?"

Tessa snorted. "The Finance and Legal Departments always wanted to burn you in effigy... you made their jobs so much more difficult."

Farzen arched an eyebrow. "I guess you have some good stories to share."

"Kaname could tell them better then we could, she was there for every one of them," Tessa said.

Farzen yawned. "I am sure they are interesting... I have pleanty of Kashim stories myself."

"We all do." Kurz said.

"Yes, you do enjoy telling tales of my ignorance." Sousuke grumbled. "I am not nearly as bad as I once was."

"Only you would tell us, you'd used a condom before and then proceed to describe how much water one could hold." Kurz snorted. "Melissa's reaction was hilarious though." He yelped as she elbowed him. "Hey!"

"We have pleanty of stories about you... Weber." Mao said with a smirk. "Or what happens when you and Sousuke team up. You two define SNAFU."

"But you love me!" Kurz said.

"So what, doesn't mean you and him don't make everday situations insane... or need I tell this group about the Onsen?" Melissa snarled. Kurz's face went white and Sousuke's lip twitched as if he was holding back a smirk.

Farzen arched an eyebrow. "A spa? What happened?"

"You promised not to tell!" Kurz snapped. "Please, don't tell in front of Tessa!"

"Tessa-chan already knows, you think she wouldn't have figured out what the explosions outside meant?" Melissa said.

"Uh..."

Tessa giggled from where she sat and Sousuke stared at Kurz for a long moment. "We're lucky that none of your accomplices were injured..."

"You kidding, I thought Kazama was scarred for life!" Kurz said as he ran a hand through his blond hair and then groaned. "Fine..."

Sarah Miller looked around the group. "I haven't heard this story."

"It's a good one." Melissa smirked. "During an overhaul two summers back Tessa decided it'd be a nice vacation to come here and spend some leave time as a typical high school student, in the same class as Sousuke and Kaname."

Sousuke sighed and looked at his hands while Sarah slowly smiled as she glanced at the group. Al's voice crackled from his speakers. "I sense a disaster in the making."

"I was supposed to arrive a few hours after Tessa to assist in the mission to keep Tessa safe and free Sousuke to concentrate on being Kaname's guard, outside of school anyway. A storm delayed my arrival and Sousuke, already stressed out from dealing with Kaname and Tessa fighting, the additional strain of guarding his commanding officer, and Tessa attempting to ingrate herself with the young Sergeant... well, he got himself sick with stress and collapsed in school. Kaname and Tessa fought over nursing him back to health and well... the pattern for the next few weeks was laid out before them." Melissa rolled her eyes. "I had to cuff Tessa to keep her from sneaking into Sousuke's bed."

Sousuke felt Kaname snuggled against him and declare in a rather sleepy voice: "Tessa... mine!"

Farzen snorted. "If she succeeded he might have killed her in reflex."

"Almost did, that first night she did sneak into my bed and scared the shit out of me when I woke up. Kaname was in the next room if that wasn't bad enough." Sousuke growled.

Tessa flushed a bright red. "I am sorry... I was being stupid."

"You were being a teenage girl with a crush." Melissa said before rolling her eyes. "After I got there things settled down a bit until the last weekend. Someone... who I believe all of you will guess the identity of, suggested that Tessa spend time at an Onsen while in Japan being the easily manipulated and naive teenager that she was... Tessa thought it was a great idea."

Tessa sat red faced and glared at Melissa.

"So she invited Kaname and Sousuke's friends for a weekend at an Onsen, and Sousuke being told a few days earlier scrambled to secure the place in his usual fashion." Melissa snorted at the last bit.

"It was an unsecure location." Sousuke stated dryly.

Farzen chuckled and glanced at Sousuke. "Let me guess... mines, by the hundreds."

"And military armor," Kurz grumbled. "In the divider between the men and women's pools."

Melissa rolled her eyes. "That was because he knew you!"

Sousuke nodded sagely and smirked. "It did keep you out."

"The sentry guns were overkill!" Kurz snapped.

Farzen burst into laughter as Sousuke's cheeks flushed. Finally, he smirked at the group. "I have told you several times already. There is no overkill, there is only open fire and I need to reload. They weren't lethal weapons anyway..."

Kurz glared at him as Melissa continued. "So you can imagine... Kurz Weber, voyeur and pervert extraordinaire arrives at the Onsen planning to observe his female superior officers..." Melissa smirked at Kurz who rolled his eyes. "And is stymied by the defenses Sousuke assembled... he recruits two of Sousuke's school friends: Ono-D and Kazama to assist him in penetrating the defenses and getting a good look at the girls."

Kurz put his hand in his face. "Just how many of those damn sentry guns did you put out there?"

"Seventy-two, they were available cheap after rejection from some country." Sousuke shrugged.

"And how many mines?" Melissa asked.

"Five crates full... I managed to get less lethal concussion types." Sousuke shrugged.

Kurz let out a growl. "If you didn't Kazama, myself, and Ono-D would have died you know!"

"You should not have tried to get a peek at the captain." Sousuke muttered.

"You sure I wanted a look at Tessa?" He asked before waggling his eyebrows.

Sousuke glared at him. "You just wanted to look at naked women. I suppose any women would do..."

"Nah... Mao would have been best." There was a smack as Melissa smacked the back of his head and he rubbed it. "What... it was a compliment Melissa!"

Melissa rolled her eyes. "Anyway, he and his two new buddies went around and tried to come across the forest grounds shooting the sentry guns and setting off mines as they went. Ono-D got knocked out by a concussion mine, and Kurz got zapped by one of the tripods in the ass." She snorted with laughter. "So it's just Kazama verses all of Sousuke's defenses. He's a bit of a military Otaku like Sousuke but... more otaku and less specialist."

"The fools..." Sousuke grunted.

"Kazama jumped the wall and got into the pool... but the women's and men's side switched after a certain point in the evening and... Kazama dropped on top of Sousuke."

Farzen snorted, "Typical Sousuke scenario."

"Kazama was rather mortified," Sousuke observed quietly. "I believe he was crying for most of the trip back."

"Now if I had an Angel Light back then..." Kurz waggled his eyebrows before Melissa smacked him again.

"I believe the girls will prefer not to be irradiated by the efforts of a pervert to see them naked." Sousuke said.

At that moment, the ozone monitor crackled suddenly to life and everyone froze. Sousuke bolted from the couch and ran toward the window. With him gone, Kaname fell from the couch with a yelp as she toppled over.

He stared up through the window into the night and pulled a radio from his pocket. "Uruzu Seven to Wraith, any visual? The Ozone monitor picked up something."

"Nothing at the moment..." Wraith answered shortly afterwards. "I'll keep watch."

"Sousuke?" Kaname grumbled from the floor before stumbling to her feet. "What is it now?"

"Ozone monitor picked up an ECS camouflaged vehicle passing nearby," Sousuke said. "It could be one of those AH-6 Little Birds we observed a while back."

The assembled group stared at the monitor as the crackling slowly died and Sousuke began to relax. He set the pistol on the end table and dropped back onto the couch. "It seems like they passed us."

"We'll have to be careful until Japan announces the Sword and Shield agreement or it's leaked the United States will probably continue to find an opportunity to snatch us away." Tessa said.

Farzen stood and brushed off his pants. "I think I better go, if that offer for a hotel room is still good."

"It is." Melissa said with a nod. "We'll leave as well in a moment."

"Perhaps we should all head to the hotel?" Sousuke suggested.

Tessa shrugged. "I doubt they'll strike tonight, a mid morning attack would make more sense in Japan as then the vast majority of residents would be at work and out of harms way."

"In that case, let's get out the sleeping bags. Sousuke can guard us out here again." Sarah said with a tired sigh. "When will the agreement be announced?"

"I don't know." Tessa said and took a deep breath. "Of course it would come out the moment the American's struck... but if it was announced before hand we might not even be attacked."

"Well, we'll be heading back to the hotel... call us if something happens." Kurz said before standing.

Farzen glanced around the group and smiled. "It has been an... experience meeting all of you."

* * *

><p><strong>28 March 2000, 23:12 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**1,000 meters over the Tamagawa River**

Curt Saxton flipped up the infrared goggles and leaned back in his seat. "Well… it's easy as hell to see at night, a flash every second like that."

Beside him, Lieutenant Elliot snorted before grabbing hold of the cyclic and breaking toward home base. "Let's just get back and hit the sack, it'll all be over tomorrow."

"Roger that." Curt said with a smirk.

* * *

><p><strong>28 March 2000, 23:43 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Tamagawa Police Station**

"We don't want anything with Sagara!" the CIA agent yelled from his seat as Wakana gave him a leering grin. "I swear. He's just the targets' bodyguard!"

The metal of the table groaned as Wakana crossed her legs and pressed a combat knife into the steel almost as if bored. She arched an eyebrow at him while the sounds of J-pop echoed in the room. The CIA agent looked up at her half buried by Hello Kitty memorabilia.

Grinning she used a pair of chopsticks to lift the squid from her bowl of soup and slurped it, making the CIA agent shudder in disgust. It seemed the CIA hadn't prepared it's agents for this sort of bizarre interrogation. "I'll stop when you tell me who the target is and what your job was."

"Chidori, Testarossa, and Kudan are the targets! I don't know why we want them. I was just suppose to drop an infrared marker on the roof over their apartment, that's all!" He said.

"And this infrared marker… what's it for?"

"To mark a position for satellite photos, I don't know… that's all I can think of, just get rid of this stuff… it's giving me the creeps!"

Wakana smiled. "Why would you want a satellite photo with their apartment marked?"

"I don't know! Honest!"

"Fine…" Wakana stood and walked toward the door. _I guess I'll stake out their apartment._ "Keep my stuff company, will you?" She smiled as the man blanched beneath the Hello Kitty memorabilia. "Oh… and you should know, Chidori's father works for the UN in New York as a top level bureaucrat. I doubt the US would like the fact she's a target of yours get out."

The door shut with a clang.


	22. Chapter 20: Beyond Tier One

**Sword and Shield**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 20:<strong> Beyond Tier One

* * *

><p><strong>Delta Force <strong>1. _n._ 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (1st SFOD-D) is one of the United States' secretive Tier One counter-terrorism and Special Mission Units. Commonly known as Delta Force, Delta, or The Unit, it was formed under the designation 1st SFOD-D, and is officially referred to by the Department of Defense as Combat Applications Group.

* * *

><p><strong>28 March 2000, 19:07 hrs.<strong>

**Washington, District of Columbia, United States**

**White House Situation Room**

General Gordon leaned back in his chair as he saw the President chew his lip. On the displays were various satellite feeds of the operation area, the Tamagawa River, Chofu, and a close up image of the apartment. The President slowly pulled off his glasses and sat them on the table.

"You want final authorization?" He asked quietly and the assembled team and general officers shifted nervously in their seats. "I can see this is a logical follow up to the situation in Alaska."

"Yes Mr. President." Sandy Berger said quietly. "The three individuals we are attempting to capture are among the most dangerous people in the world, if they are in the wrong hands. One of them falling into such hands caused the entire Merida Island debacle. We feel it would be far better if they were in our custody."

"Hmm... the three girls, I see your notes on their apparent specialties." He tapped his lip with a pen as a trio of White House staffers stepped inside carrying pizza boxes and bottles of cola. "What about the Japanese government's response?"

"They won't be happy... one of the trio's father works at the United Nations. Hopefully no one will be able to confirm it was us that did it." General Gordon said. "Worse case scenarios, the Japanese protest the abduction of their citizen... this Chidori and we retain the other two."

The President nodded. "If we fail?"

The generals looked a bit stunned at the suggestion of that possibility. Delta Force never failed, sure, they might take casualties, cause a diplomatic incident, or something but they never actually failed in their objectives.

Sandy Berger looked just as surprised by the question. "Mr. President, Delta has never failed in a mission as trivial as this."

"Humor me." The President said. "This is Mithril we're talking about, not some terrorists in Saudi Arabia, or a gang of gun wielding maniacs in Somalia."

"Well... that would be the absolute worst possible scenario, not getting the targets, evidence of our attempt would be almost impossible to hide, especially if there are casualties." Sandy Berger said. "I don't see that as a likely outcome though."

The President nodded and let out a long sigh. "These three girls, are this important... it's hard to believe." He looked down at the authorization document and took a deep breath. "Send the word... they're go." Then he signed it and dropped it on the table.

One of the generals nodded and picked up a phone. "Tartarus is a go."

* * *

><p><strong>29 March 2000, 9:13 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 404, Mansion K Apartments**

Kaname Chidori woke as the sunlight slowly began to settle over her eyes. Her side ached from the lumpy cushions of the sofa, and as she opened her eyes she saw the other two girls who shared their room still sleeping in their sleeping bags. She let out a soft sigh as she felt Sousuke shift behind her, one arm drapped protectively around her waist.

"Good morning." He said quietly and Kaname grumbled a greeting, still far from a morning person.

During the night she'd heard the whispers again, but they didn't seem as strong or potent as before the Merida event, not nearly so. Perhaps with her whisperer gone, her connection to the whispers wasn't as strong, or perhaps it was the comforting presence of Sousuke during the night, but no matter what it was, she was thankful.

Still, her low blood pressure, something most would take as a sign of good physical health, often gave her a throbbing headache as she woke and this day was little different.

She murmured to herself as she slowly sat up and slipped out of Sousuke's arms. He was awake too, she was sure, as it was an exceedingly rare occurrence for the stoic sergeant to sleep through much of anything. It seemed that he needed to be physically ill for his guard to drop enough for him to sleep through the slightest disturbance.

"Kaname?" He asked as she slipped on her slippers.

"Shower..." She muttered. "Must wake up."

"Affirmative, shall I have some coffee or tea ready for you?" He asked.

"Douzo." She murmured as she stumbled for the bathroom. A moment later she'd slipped out of her night clothes and climbed inside. Hot water beat down on her, warming her and slowly burning away the lethargy from sleep. She let out a long yawn as she began to wash her hair, a happy smile slowly slipping across her face.

The dangers and threats forgotten for the moment, Kaname reveled in the simple pleasure of washing her hair and remembering how the stoic sergeant had cuddled her in his sleep. It seemed the two of them had found comfort in each other's arms... A part of her was mortified by her own behavior. It was the same part that was so infuriated by Sousuke's 'otaku' nature, that yelled and screamed at him to shape up, to adapt, to blend in, but it was only part of who Kaname was, perhaps only a face she presented to the world.

Having spent much of her life in the United States had also greatly affected her outlook. When she'd returned to Japan and started Middle School, she'd stuck out as a foreigner to her fellow students, and while she'd never completely covered up the influence of her time in the states, she'd learned to hide it, to act like a normal Japanese teen with just a few quirks from her time outside the country.

It seemed that facade was falling away, bit by bit. Her arrangement with Sousuke, sharing an apartment and even a bed was one that would be seen as outrageous, even perverted to most Japanese people. To her, it was becoming second nature. She needed Sousuke close, as a friend, a protector, and a boyfriend. In America it might have raised eyebrows, but little more.

The Japanese part of her outlook was still mortified, but it was overshadowed by more simple human needs. Her time in Amalgam's care had burned away many of her inhibitions. The world she'd lived within in the United States would have accepted her circumstances without comment.

She didn't feel safe without him around. He was like a big teddy bear with her, shrugging off beatings with her harisen and verbal lashings with little comment, but the moment she was threatened any restraint the boy had seemed to slip off, like a safety being switched on a gun. He would defend her with his life, without a thought or regret. He was her champion, even if he was an otaku and military freak.

If Sousuke wasn't so bashful and naive Kaname bet that they'd have gone much further then holding each other at night and the occasional kiss. He wasn't the best at showing his feelings, the stoic shell of his being a mask that so rarely budged. Still she knew the feelings he had ran deep, if they hadn't, they wouldn't be so visible.

Her mind finally woken up by the hot spray and rising steam, Kaname let out a long sigh and blushed, her mind drifting back to how Sousuke had held her at night. There was something child-like underneath his stoic expression and hardened exterior. A scared boy that only came out in the darkest part of the night and held onto her for dear life.

She liked that boy, and now that Sousuke was around her so much, she could catch glimpses of him peeking out from the years of hardship and soldiering.

Kaname sighed and turned off the water and grabbed a towel. She quickly began to dry her hair as the heady aroma of coffee began to permeate the apartment. She smiled faintly. There were only a few things that Sousuke was capable of cooking on his own. He could do coffee, so long as you preferred it strong enough to wake the dead and hot enough to scald the throat, which was what Kaname needed most mornings.

She finished drying her hair and body before wrapping the towel around her waist. Outside she found Sousuke drinking his own cup of coffee with a steaming mug sitting beside it, just waiting for her. Kaname quickly slipped into her room and dressed. When she returned the coffee was no longer scalding, but still warm enough to fully wake her from her morning lethargy.

He was watching the international news again and Kaname sighed as she saw the talking heads still discussing Mithril and the fight in Alaska. She sat down beside him and took a sip from her cup. "Sousuke..."

"Yes?" He asked quietly.

"I suggest you shower and get dressed. I'll start on breakfast and wake the others." She took a gulp from the coffee and felt the caffeine wake her with a bit of a jolt. "Does that sound like a plan?"

"Affirmative."

* * *

><p><strong>29 March 2000, 9:35 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Parking Lot, Mansion K Apartments**

Officer Wakana parked her patrol cruiser and took a gulp of coffee before settling back in her seat. Getting the CIA operative the location of their little beacon gave her something to pursue, something bigger then a pervert chasing teen girls or a bike thief that habitually destroyed her patrol car. This was bigger than Bonta-kun.

She sat her P90 Personal Defense Weapon on the seat beside her and leaned back, pulling her uniform cap tight down over her head to give the impression of an officer sleeping on the job and sat back to wait. Sagara was involved, as was the CIA.

She couldn't help but smile at the thought of the explosion she was sure was coming. It would be a grand fight, something worth breaking the rules for. Maybe she could convince someone to assign her to SWAT, or maybe these Mithril people needed a couple new recruits to replace their losses.

Her evil snicker at the thought would have disturb any who heard it, fortunately for her... she wasn't observed. Her little stake out may not have been authorized, but she'd be damned if she wasn't watching this train wreck and diving in P90 blazing.

What will it be? A couple thugs with a chopper to get them out fast, maybe a sniper to get rid of that pesky Sagara?

She didn't consider just how amateurish those ideas seemed, or what an infrared strobe really meant, all she knew was that it was a target.

* * *

><p><strong>29 March 2000, 9:40 hrs<strong>

**Yokota Air Base, Western Tokyo, Japan**

**106****th**** Special Operations Aviation Regiment, Joint Special Operations Command**

Lieutenant John Elliot tightened the straps of his crash harness as he ran through the pre-flight checks. Beside him, Warrant Officer Curt Saxton was tapping the multi-function display as the four Delta Force Operators clambered onto the benches that hung from either side of the AH-6J Little Bird.

"Swallow Six-Two to command, pre-flight complete." Lieutenant Elliot said as he glanced at the second AH-6J Little Bird and took a deep breath. "Ready."

"Six-Two acknowledged, Six-One?" The brisk voice of the unit commander stated flatly in the radio.

"Six-One is go."

"Acknowledged, stand by." Elliot nodded and pushed his back against the harness and waited. Then the radio crackled again. "Tartarus, I repeat, Tartarus!"

"Understood!" Lieutenant Elliot as he grabbed hold of the controls and ramped up the throttle. As the helicopter began to lift off the tarmac, Warrant Officer Saxton glanced back at the four Delta Force Operatives.

"Welcome to SOAR flight sixty-two. Our destination today is a rooftop in the middle of Tokyo home to three very pretty girls and one irate man." Curt Saxton said with a smirk. "I'd like to remind you that smoking is prohibited and seat belts are completely unnecessary for Delta Force Operators."

Low chuckles came from the group as Lieutenant Elliot reached above his head and flicked a switch. "ECS engaged!"

"We apologize for the smell of Ozone, but then I think you'd prefer the enemy not noticing our approach." Saxton said to the group who chuckled once again.

* * *

><p><strong>29 March 2000, 9:48 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Roof, Tigers Mansion Apartments**

Wraith sighed as she stepped out onto the roof access and took a long pull from her can of coffee. A crystal-clear blue sky was overhead and she smiled faintly as she walked over to the air conditioner units of the building. As she did, she did a quick cursory glance at the surroundings and nodded to herself. A moment later, she sat down and ran a hand along the polished stock of her SVD Dragunov Sniper Rifle. It was amusing to her that the Intelligence Department had once argued strongly against the weapon.

Of course, it wasn't exactly standard issue to an intelligence operative, even in an organization such as Mithril. But, then the idea of her providing over watch for Chidori and Sagara without a weapon capable of reaching them was in itself an idiotic concept.

She'd specifically requested the Dragunov, claiming that it would fit with her 'secondary' cover. The one she would fall back on if the first had been blown. The one that in truth was not much of a cover, considering it had been her true identity and purpose up until she'd joined Mithril so many years before.

Wraith did not usually discuss her past, and always tried to avoid mention of her given name... for that fact alone would have identified her home country, or at least narrowed it down to two possibilities. She was Wraith, the code name was her identity and she left it at that.

"I wonder what Sergeant Sabotage is up to at the moment." Wraith muttered as she pulled a range finding scope from her pocket and pointed it into the window of the apartment. It seemed that all four inhabitants were up and about at least.

"Ahh... Breakfast." She sneered to herself and sighed. "Lucky dog."

* * *

><p><strong>29 March 2000, 9:51 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 404, Mansion K Apartments**

Kaname shut off the stovetop and set aside the skillet before turning with her small tray full of breakfast food and setting it atop the small table in the middle of the living area. Tessa was leaning on an elbow with a tired expression playing across her face while Sara Miller was staring wide-eyed at the small omelets on the tray.

Sousuke was by the door, carefully checking over the four speaker-like explosives he'd mounted on shelves and pointed toward the door.

"Breakfast, Sousuke!" Kaname shouted before setting the tray on the table and letting a sigh slip out. "Come back here and sit down."

"Sorry, I was just checking the SLAMs to ensure they do not detonate accidentally." Sousuke said as he walked back over to them and dropped into a seat.

Tessa yawned. "Sagara-san, those weapons are extremely difficult to set off by accident."

"One can never be too careful with explosives." Sousuke said as he plucked a few omelets from the tray and started eating. "I am nervous after the fly by last night."

"You sure it wasn't something else... A broken fridge letting out a bit of ozone perhaps?" Sara Miller said as she ran a hand through her hair. "It'd be an extreme risk trying to take us from the middle of Tokyo in broad daylight, let alone the middle of the night."

"We still should be cautious." Sousuke said. "The Americans are not the sort to give up easily on an objective, especially one as valuable as a Whispered... let alone three of them."

Kaname sighed and sat down, deciding to keep silent for the moment. Interrupting or disagreeing with Sagara tending to cause a rant. She did not intend to spend the day arguing with him... even though that was occasionally a fun distraction.

"Will we ever be safe?" Sarah asked quietly and Tessa frowned.

"We'll be safer once the Japanese Government announces the deal with Admiral Borda." Tessa said. "But we will never be completely safe Sarah... it's simply not possible."

"I don't like being a target." Sarah sniffed. "I don't want to think about what they would do if they caught us."

A squawk on the Ozone detector suddenly drew their attention and Sousuke swore as he scrambled for the display. A series of Russian curses spewed from his mouth. "Another ozone signature, no... Two!" He swept his gun from the end table and held the smaller Glock handle first to Kaname.

She took the gun and swallowed as Sousuke pulled out a radio. "Urzu Seven to Urzu Two."

* * *

><p><strong>29 March 2000, 09:50 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 333, Kawasaki Green Plaza Hotel**

Melissa Mao groaned as the radio on the bed table crackled to life and Sousuke's voice came through in a nervous tone. She slowly opened her eyes and stared at the offending device as Kurz's arms wrapped around her middle and held her in place.

"Kurz... let go, Sagara's calling." She growled before pushing his arms away and stumbling out of bed and fumbled with the bulky device. "Sousuke?"

"You got to hit the transmit button babe." Kurz murmured from where he lay.

"Right... Sagara?" She snapped as she stood in a black tank top and panties beside her bed.

"Urzu Two, we have two ECS contacts closing on us here... we need help!"

"FUCK!" Mao yelled as she dropped the radio and ran for the pile of dirty clothes and web gear beside the bed.

* * *

><p><strong>29 March 2000, 9:53 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**300 meters over the Tamagawa River**

Lieutenant Elliot glanced down at the cluster of apartment buildings and houses that filled the land below. Baseball diamonds and track fields filled the small stretch of land between the river itself and the built up roadway that ran along it, acting like a levy.

With a slight scowl, he pulled on his infrared goggles and shifted in his seat. Then he glanced down at the array of buildings before a bright flash on his goggles drew his attention, "Swallow Six-Two, I can see the infrared marker."

"Understood Six-Two, I see it as well, descending to thirty, prepare to disengage ECS." The reply instantly came and Lieutenant Elliot dropped his AH-6J Little Bird lower and lower until it was just skimming over the rooftops. "Six-Two this is Six-One, we'll deploy on the roof as planned, and you take the balcony."

"Affirmative." Lieutenant Elliot said.

"Disengage ECS. Go, go, go!" The command came out and Elliot pushed the cyclic forward as Warrant Officer Saxton flipped the switch. Immediately the noxious odor of ozone disappeared and he saw just ahead Six-One appearing out of thin air. Elliot pushed up the infrared goggles and smiled as the AH-6J flared over the roof and touched down a second later. Four men scrambled from the benches before it rocketed up into the air again.

"We're next, ready ropes!" Elliot yelled as he headed toward the balcony and flared the helicopter.

* * *

><p>Wraith swore as she saw an AH-6J Little Bird roar just over her head. She dove behind the air conditioner and pulled out her radio, fumbling with it as the first helicopter landed on the roof. "Come on..."<p>

* * *

><p>Officer Wakana gaped as the first black helicopter roared overhead. She grabbed the radio and yelled into, "Dispatch, 10-34 at the Mansion K Apartments, 10-77!"<p>

"Wakana?" The dispatcher shrieked as she looked up and saw the helicopter once again.

"Just get me help!" She yelled back before throwing the radio onto the chair.

* * *

><p>"Contacts lost." Al's voice crackled from the speakers. "They might have switched off their ECS."<p>

Kaname tightened her grip on the pistol as she leaned against the wall the chirp of the ozone detector counting down the seconds. Across from her, Sousuke was kneeling down behind the sofa, his Glock 17 gripped tightly in his hand with another hand wrapped around a command detonation remote.

Tessa and Sarah hid behind the dining room table that they had knocked over, their own hands fingering their weapons. Overhead the two of them could hear the roar of rotors.

"Uruz Seven to Uruz Two, please respond." Sousuke muttered and Kaname glanced back at him noticing for the first time the ear-bud style microphone he wore.

* * *

><p>Wraith pulled the SVD Dragunov into her shoulder and rested her face against the cheek plate on the stock. She watched as the first of the AH-6J Little Birds tilted forward, lifting clear as its cargo of Delta Force operators scrambled through the doors down from the roof. She bit her tongue as she heard Sousuke's radio call then sighed. "Wraith here, four are coming down the stairwell, second bird approaching."<p>

"Understood." The sergeant answered in the clipped manner she'd come to expect from him.

Then the second AH-6J Little Bird came to a hover directly over the balcony. Wraith felt her gut turn cold as she lifted the rifle toward the helicopter and found herself staring down the sights of one of the Delta Operator's silenced M4 ACOGs. His face was partly hidden behind a transparent visor and Wraith felt herself freeze for that instant.

The Operator's mouth moved to bark an order and ropes fell from the side of the chopper onto the balcony.

Wraith suddenly lurched into action centering her sights on the Operator as silenced 5.56x45mm subsonic rounds buzzed by and she felt a brief stab of pain in her arm. Her aim wavered but a moment and the Dragunov barked an angry reply.

* * *

><p>Curt swore as the voice of one of the Delta Force operators rang in his ear. "Contact, nine o'clock low, engaging."<p>

He twisted to look over his shoulder and saw sparks shooting up from around an air conditioner on the roof of the apartment across the street. The chopper wobbled a bit under his control as the two Delta Force operators began fast roping toward the balcony. "Come on, five more seconds!"

* * *

><p>Wakana grabbed her P90 from the passenger seat and slammed open the side door. She knelt down behind the door and lifted the gun to her shoulder. She gazed down the simple red reticule and pointed it up toward the two soldiers sitting on the side of the helicopter, firing toward the apartment building.<p>

Snarling she tightened her grip and held down the trigger, letting loose a wall of 5.7x28mm ammunition at the two soldiers. Sparks shot from the side of the helicopter and blue smoke began to rise from the rotors. One of the soldiers turned his gun down toward her.

The subsonic rounds made a quiet buzzing sound as they hissed over her ear, and thudded against the reinforced car door.

Wakana held down the trigger and a feral smile slipped across her face as she saw her bullets walk across the center of the soldier, tearing into his black ballistic armor. Then a bullet struck him in the neck, sending blood spurting up from the wound. He tumbled backward just as two of his comrades slid down the ropes to the balcony.

* * *

><p>The door to apartment 404 blew into the room, clattering as it bounced over three sets of shoes and bounced off the wall. Four Delta Force operators clad in black tactical gear and digital camouflage swept into the room, their M4 ACOG carbines up in the ready position. None of them paid any heed to the four black objects on shelves in the entryway. They looked to be simple black speakers.<p>

They weren't. Each was an M3 Selectable Lightweight Attack Munition or SLAM. The 'speaker' of each small box was in fact a shape charge warhead designed to tear through the lightly armored belly of a jeep, truck, or armored personnel carrier. When detonated a jet of molten copper would be hurled from the shaped charge into anything in the speaker's path.

Sousuke closed his eyes and opened his mouth before hitting the command: detonate. A boom echoed in the small apartment, black smoke filled the entryway, and screams of pain and panic reached Sousuke's ears, audible just above the ringing. Turning to glance down the hall Sousuke saw the four operators. Two were lying in expanding pools of their own blood, their uniforms shredded and either alight or smoldering from the burst of superheated metal. The third was writhing on the ground screaming, his clothes burning and his legs managed and bloody.

The last of the four was crouched beside his wounded comrade. He lifted the rifle toward Sousuke just as Sousuke leveled the Glock 17 at the attacker. They fired.

Sousuke felt a lance of pain at the top of his shoulder as he let loose a second round, which struck the operator in the plastic visor shattering it and sending a spray of blood and gore over the bodies of his comrades. Twitching he stumbled to the floor and let go of the M4 ACOG.

Then the glass to the balcony shattered.

* * *

><p>"Team down! Go, go, go!" Lieutenant Elliot yelled. His feet slammed on the rudder pedals as a bullet glanced off the cockpit. The AH-6J swung toward the apartment building as a second round struck the armored glass sending a spider-web of cracks all across the canopy. Gritting his teeth, he flipped a set of controls selecting and arming the two M136 Gatling guns. Dipping the nose he centered the reticule on the air conditioners and opened fire.<p>

A solid stream of tracers ripped across the short space, tearing apart the roofing and ricocheting off the concrete.

* * *

><p>"Sousuke!" Kaname yelled out a warning as two more Delta Operators rolled into the room. She lifted the Glock 26 and fired as fast as she could, sending a barrage of 9mm rounds toward the two Delta Operators while Sarah screamed in fright.<p>

Sousuke grabbed hold of the weapon of the nearest operative, wrenching it from his grasp and turning it toward its owner. The gun spat a volley of silenced rounds tearing their way from the gun's suppressor before riddling the operative before him. Kaname's panicked firing sent rounds cracking past the head of the last man while he leveled the rifle at Sousuke.

Kaname's terror turned to an icy cold rage as the gun came into line with Sousuke. Her experience with the stun gun took hold and she focused, willing herself to aim… to shoot the man before he took Sousuke from her. The sights lined up, centering on the back of his helmet and she squeezed the trigger.

The man straightened as the helmet seemed to split. Kaname fired again and the helmet split with another impact, a burst of red mist came from the hole in the helmet and the operative's body toppled forward and to the ground.

Kaname's eyes went wide. _I… I killed him!_ She felt her arms begin to shake and then the report of a large caliber rifle echoed from across the street.

* * *

><p>Wraith swore as she felt a piece of lead rip into her calf. The air conditioner clattered as round after round flattened against the metal. She lifted the rifle up to her shoulder as tracers hissed passed her to either side, sighted in on the pilot, and fired.<p>

The bulletproof glass shattered, but the armor-piercing round penetrated anyway. The pilot's head snapped back and blood splattered against the headrest. Immediately the chopper began to tumble.

Snarling, Wraith tracked the co-pilot as he tried to regain control and fired, striking him in the chest.

* * *

><p>Curt's eyes widened in horror as blood splattered against the inside of the cockpit canopy. He felt a lance of pain in his chest and glanced over at Elliot, the pilot, canted forward, his hands shoving the collective downward as well as the control stick. The chopper's nose dropped and then the thump of rotor blades cleaving and breaking against tile and concrete echoed in Curt's ears.<p>

The master alarm was blaring and Curt grabbed at the second set of controls, but he knew it was already too late.

* * *

><p>One rotor blade tore through the apartment wall making a gash like an enormous sword while another cleaved through the bedroom window demolishing the bed before being ripped apart and sending fragments in all directions. Kaname screamed as a piece of rotor blade cut through the apartment like a scythe barely missing her head before lodging in the refrigerator. Sousuke knocked her down as more fragments hissed through the air like angry bees and the chopper's fuselage caught the balcony and rolled off into the street, the remains of its rotor blades ripping themselves apart as they caught the concrete structure.<p>

* * *

><p>Wakana swore as she saw the helicopter strike the apartment building and ran from her car as pieces of tile, concrete, and shattered bits of rotor blades hurtled through the air, hissing like shrapnel. She ducked down as a blade slashed through the air and embedded itself in the concrete pillar of the office she was running to.<p>

Then she dropped behind one of the concrete pillars and looked back just as the helicopter fell from the balcony and dropped onto the roof of her police cruiser. The sirens whirred for a moment as the blades cut through its body and then disintegrated leaving behind a smoldering wreck.

She swore and glanced toward the roof, whatever or whoever had destroyed the chopper was there. Perhaps they could help explain to the chief why she had lost yet another vehicle.

* * *

><p>Then there was silence…<p>

Kaname moved under Sousuke, her eyes slowly opening and locking on his. "Sousuke…?"

"Are you hurt?" Sousuke asked quickly, ignoring the bits of concrete, plaster, and drywall dust that had settled over his form.

"I… I don't think so." Kaname stared up at him then reached up and brushed the drywall dust from his hair, a nervous laugh slipping from her lips. She stopped as she saw a trickle of blood running down from a tear in his shoulder sleeve. "You're hurt!"

"It will not hinder my duty…" Sousuke answered before slowly standing. "Tessa, Mira?"

"I… I think I'm okay." Sarah Miller said. Her voice shaking as she spoke. "Is it over?"

"Unknown." Sousuke said.

"I'm fine as well… no injuries." Tessa said as she stood from behind the dining room table. She coughed as dust rolled through the room like fog. "Sousuke… the others?"

A radio crackled from one of the downed men and a voice yelled in English. "Report? Damn it, we've got a bird down! What the hell is going on in there?"

* * *

><p>Wraith sagged beside the air conditioner, her breathing ragged. She stared down the sights of her rifle at the smashed wreck. She gasped for breath and dropped the rifle. It clattered against the concrete rooftop.<p>

"Report? Wraith!" Sousuke's voice came through the radio and she gasped.

She stared down and swallowed. Her calf was a bloody mess. She could see her blood running from ravaged muscle. Wraith swallowed and tapped her radio.

"I am alive… for the moment." Wraith answered with a wheeze.

"Shit." Sagara growled. "Did you take down the chopper?"

"I believe… you… owe me one… sergeant." Wraith coughed and closed her eyes. She drew a ragged breath and swallowed. "I think… you… should focus… on Angel. Keep her safe."

A bang came from the roof access and Wraith rolled her head in that direction. A Japanese police officer stood with a P90 clasped in her hand, a predatory snarl on her face. Wraith swore quietly as she stalked over toward her. "What… do you… want?" She rasped.

The police officer knelt down and suddenly tore off her belt. "I want in."

Wraith blinked as the woman wrapped the belt around the top of her calf and tightened it into an impromptu tourniquet. She stared up at the woman. "Ahh… Wakana?"

The feral smile returned. "The one and only." She said. "That was the most fun I've had in years."

Wraith took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "You're… crazy."

"So are you." Wakana answered.

Wraith smiled faintly. "You're perfect for this."

* * *

><p><strong>28 March 2000, 19:59 hrs.<strong>

**Washington, District of Columbia, United States**

**White House Situation Room**

"Mission scrubbed... Swallow Six-One withdrawing." The single statement hung in the air as everyone glanced around at each other.

"Oh my God." General Gordon muttered as he stared at the satellite imagery. Behind him the President was sitting with an expression of profound shock on his face. Other officers were staggered by the sight of one of the AH-6J Little Birds lying crumpled atop the police car.

The damn police car, Gordon thought to himself as he stared at the imagery. "Go back... replay the imagery, focus on the police car."

Slowly everyone in the room stopped to watch as they saw a woman clad in a Police uniform scramble out of the car and open fire on the helicopter. Around him, the General heard sudden whispers as the President stared at the image. "General... What does it mean that a Japanese Police Officer was waiting for the attack?"

Everyone's expression darkened as Madeline Albright grabbed a phone and dialed the State Department. General Gordon glanced back at the President and saw that he'd turned pasty white.

"General Gordon, what relations do the Japanese have with Mithril?" He almost shouted.

"They called them to assist with one terrorist incident that we know of and Mithril acted autonomously to support their interests in two other occurances." General Gordon said. "A-21, the North Korean JAL hijacking, and the Jindai High School incident."

One of the other officers suddenly spoke up, "Don't forget General, the JSDF scrambled fighters against one of our squadrons chasing down this Mira Kudan you have as a target for this operation."

General Gordon sat and rubbed his face with his hands. "Mr. President?"

"I want your resignation on my desk tomorrow morning, you to Sandy." The President said with almost a growl. "Madeline?"

The worn looking Secretary of State glanced at him and swallowed. "I'm still trying to get through."

"Keep trying." The President said. "We need to sweep this aside, if the public learn that we attacked the Japanese over Mithril Operatives they'll start asking questions. Sandy Berger and General Gordon will assume full responsibility for this incident."

"Mr. President, the Japanese will never accept that... the Apartment was owned by the daughter of one of their diplomats at the United Nations. Their people have been demanding the removal of our forces." Secretary Albright said.

"Then who will keep North Korea and China away?" The President asked.

"Mithril." General Gordon said quietly. "Damn, this is the perfect opportunity for them."

"I'll need to make a statement," the President said quietly.

* * *

><p><strong>29 March 2000, 10:04 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 404, Mansion K Apartments**

Sousuke stumbled over the smashed remains of the door as Kaname half-carried him. Behind him Tessa and Sara staggered out. They were all covered in plaster dust and flakes of drywall.

Kaname glanced at him, worry clearly visible in her eyes. "Sousuke... how bad?"

He slowly rotated his shoulder and winced as he felt the stab of pain and trickle of blood from the wound rolling down his arm. "It is not... severe. It will not impede my duty."

_Which is to get you safe right now._ He thought to himself before tapping the earpiece. "Urzu Two, this is Urzu Seven, initial assault repulsed... where are you?"

"Sousuke, are you alright?" Mao shouted in his ear and he flinched. "We're almost there."

"I am... inconvienced. We are fortunate the American Military follows the Geneva Convention, ball ammunition does not cause severe wounds." Sousuke winced as he heard Kaname ripe off his sleeve to check the wound. "It is not bad Kaname... a bandage and I will be fine."

"Shit." Mao muttered. "Step on it Kurz, Sousuke took a bullet."

"Do not worry about me, it's Wraith that needs medical assistance." Sousuke snapped back as Kaname tore his sleeve into a strip and wound it round the wound. He bit his lip as she tightened the improvised bandage. "The Americans were using miniguns on her position..."

"Alright, we're on it..."

The screech of sirens drew their attention and Sousuke swallowed as he saw a dozen police cars and two ambulances rush into the middle of the parking lot and stop within sight of the smashed remains of the chopper.

"The authorities have arrived." Sousuke muttered.

Kaname swallowed. "This will be on the news... it's dinner time in American... oh my father!"

* * *

><p><strong>29 March 2000, 10:11 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Roof, Tigers Mansion Apartments**

Wakana stepped back as the paramedics scrambled to her, and knelt down beside the woman she'd found. The blood stained SVD sat on the bullet riddled rooftop.

She'd taken several rounds, though each was not the sort to be instantly fatal, in sum total they could easily kill her from blood loss. The paramedics looked a bit taken aback by the woman's appearance and the improvised tourniquet on her leg.

They quickly set to work. "Miss... your name?"

"Wraith..." She murmured before coughing. "Mithril Special Operative, Wraith." His assistant pulled out a set of scissors and set to work on her blood stained pant leg, slicing them open to expose the wound. She rolled her head and looked down at the bloody mess and swallowed. "Not good."

"Stay with us... Keep talking." The paramedic said as Wakana watched the woman swallow thickly.

"Got the bastards at least... thanks for the tourniquet Wakana, never thought you'd be the one to save my life..." Wraith murmured. "You should check on Sergeant Sabotage."

Wakana felt a slight smile play across her face. "You think he's crazy too?"

"Everyone does same with you... pity he's got a girlfriend." Wraith said thickly. "She is just as nuts as you, in her own way." She glanced up at her again. "Be sure to get word this happened up the ladder, will you?"

"Of course... then we'll talk later about joining your club." Wakana said with a wicked grin.

Wraith coughed again and smiled after a moment. "I think I'm going to pass out soon..."

The paramedic slipped an IV in her wrist and began to maneuver her onto the stretcher. "We got you... You'll be fine Miss Wraith."

"I expect I will after a couple months." She groaned. "I hate hospitals."

"Everyone does," the paramedic stated with a faint smile.

* * *

><p><strong>29 March 2000, 10:15 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Parking Lot, Mansion K Apartments**

Mao swore as she clambered out of the car and saw the cluster of emergency vehicles. She could see Sousuke sitting by one of the ambulances along with the three girls and she headed toward them, but almost immediately a police officer was in front of her demanding she leave.

"Listen, I'm a Mithril Operative, and that's one of my squad... now step out of the way or I bust out my service weapon!" She snapped. "You don't want me to fucking pull it on you!"

After a second the police officer swallowed and let the two of them through. It was then they saw the shattered remains of the helicopter atop a police cruiser.

"Well... I think the United States isn't going to keep this quiet." Kurz said with a grin.

Melissa nodded. "Fucking serves them right."

"Melissa!" Tessa shouted and suddenly Mao found herself being embraced by the rather shaken and distraught figure of her old captain. After a moment Mao hugged her back and sighed.

"How bad?" She asked.

"Sousuke was hit, but not bad... Kana-chan's apartment is wrecked though." Tessa swallowed. "Wraith... she was hit three times in the leg and once in the shoulder. They're taking her to the hospital."

"Who was it?" Kurz asked quietly.

"It was... Delta Force." Tessa said before she burrowed her head in Mao's shoulder and sobbed. "They used a minigun on Wraith... it's horrible."

"Did Sousuke get them all, even the chopper?" Kurz asked.

"Negative." Sousuke said from where he sat. "Kaname got one and Wraith got the chopper..."

"Kana-chan shot one of them?" Kurz stammered. "She... she shot one!"

"Yes... I did." Kaname said quietly from where she sat beside Sousuke. "He had a gun on Sousuke."

Melissa swallowed. _Kaname hadn't killed before. It had to be hard, terribly hard._ The dull thump of a helicopter drew her attention upward and she frowned as a news helicopter began to circle.

Kaname looked up and swallowed. "Oh no... I must call my father." She pulled out her phone with shaking hands and flipped it open. She started to dial as the Paramedic removed the improvised bandage from Sousuke's arm.

"Well... the Americans really fucked up this time, didn't they?" Kurz said.

Melissa ground her teeth. "Sometimes I hate my home country."


	23. Chapter 21: Repercussions

**Sword and Shield**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 21:<strong> Repercussions

* * *

><p><strong>Repercussion <strong>1. _n._ A consequence or ensuing result of some action. 2. _n. _The act of driving back, or the state of being driven back; reflection; reverberation. 3. _n._ (music) Rapid reiteration of the same sound.

* * *

><p><strong>28 March 2000, 20:17 hrs<strong>

**New York City, State of New York, United States**

**Apartment 738, Woolworth Towers**

Shunya Chidori stepped into dining room of the New York apartment that had been his home for the last ten years and smiled faintly at Ayame as she worked on homework. The dishes from the dinner he'd managed to fix were all in the dishwasher and Shunya felt a sense of relief that his day was over.

Working as a UN High Commissioner for the Environment was a challenging assignment, and one of the highest diplomatic posts he could obtain without significant backing from members of the Security Council. He had worked hard on trying to get agreements together to reduce global warming, manage fishing, and end dumping in the deep sea.

Many of those agreements on Global Warming had fallen apart thanks to the United States stubbornly refusing to participate or support those efforts. It was ironic, that the nation that hosted the very organization that employed him also worked against his efforts.

He walked out of the small dining room and into the living room. Shunya settled onto the couch and was about to lift the remote to turn onto the television when his phone rang in his pocket. He pulled it out and answered it, scowling slightly at the interruption, until he heard the voice on the other end.

"Daddy..." It was quiet, nervous, and rattled sounding but it was definitely Kana. He swallowed and took a deep breath.

"Kaname."

Her name had barely passed from his lips when Kaname started talking, rambling even. "Daddy... something happened, it'll probably be on the news shortly. I'm sorry..."

He felt his gut tighten, on the news? Could the terrorists that had struck at Jindai High have reappeared? Or was it the Americans?

"Kana..."

"My apartment, it's gone! They tried to take me away and... I had to fight them Daddy, it was horrible. I..." Kaname's voice choked up at that. "I had friends over and they blew open the door and smashed in through the window and..."

His hands trembling, Shunya Chidori lifted the remote to the television and turned it on. As it flickered to life, already on the Tokyo news channel he preferred, he saw an all too familiar apartment building, a single room of which looked to have been utterly destroyed. A black helicopter lay smashed atop a police car beside it, and he could see a number of people gathered around an ambulance.

Among them was the familiar blue-black haired figure of his daughter, pacing nervously beside the ambulance the phone at her ear.

"Are... are you alright?"

* * *

><p><strong>29 March 2000, 10:20 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Parking Lot, Mansion K Apartments**

Sagara Sousuke sat on the back bumper of the ambulance, watching Kaname pace before him chewing her lip and ramble on about what had happened. Beside him a Paramedic was examining the single wound he'd suffered in the fight.

"I'm okay Daddy." Kaname assured her father through the phone as the medical orderly bandaged Sousuke's wound. "Well, the Americans bit off more than they could chew… Yes, I'm fine. Sousuke helped fend them off… yes, SOUSUKE… I know some people. Hopefully they can get us a hotel room or some other place to stay while the apartment is repaired."

Kaname stopped a scowl on her face. "Yes… us!" She closed her eyes. "Sousuke has been staying with me for a few days. He lost his apartment when he went after me Dad."

Sousuke winced and the paramedic glanced at him, a scowl on his face. "This should stop the bleeding for now but you're going to need some stitches to fully close it." He nodded not commenting that he knew that from experience and glanced back over his shoulder at Kaname pacing just beside the ambulance.

"Yes, yes… I know you had that rule but damn it Daddy! I'm eighteen. Shouldn't I be dating by now?" Kaname's scow deepened. "Damn it Dad!"

_Perhaps being orphaned isn't always a bad thing._ Sousuke thought as he listened to Kaname continuing to argue with her father.

"Fine, you want me to go ahead and lay it all out? Apparently someone told you quite a bit already…" Kaname growled and Sousuke felt his hair stand on end. It was a familiar sound that usually ended with a whack from her harisen. It was a good thing her father was out of range.

"Daddy, I'm not about to walk to the police station and ask them to guard me for the night. I have bodyguards!" She closed her eyes. "And the police would have been useless against this and you know it."

_Maybe that would be a good idea… _Sousuke twitched and glanced over at her and immediately met a glare that erased that idea without an argument.

A smirk like that of a predatory cat slid across Kaname's face and she glanced at Sousuke. "Fine, you want me to lay it all out? I sleep with him."

"Dad… Dad?" Even from where he sat Sousuke could tell there was stunned silence on the line as Kaname closed her eyes. "Dad… I have nightmares and… the only time I feel safe is when he's with me… okay? After today, well, the last year… you can say I have good reason to have nightmares." She closed her eyes and Sousuke saw a pair of tears run down her face. "Daddy… Oh hell… I… He… He almost died defending me today Daddy. One of the soldiers had his pistol on him and…"

Sousuke moved, acting more on instinct then any conscious thought. He slipped behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist as she sobbed. "It's not a problem, okay?" Sousuke whispered in her ear.

She nodded and closed her eyes again, leaning against him. Kaname sighed. "Daddy, I… I shot him." She leaned back against him and cried. "I shot him dead… it was him or Sousuke and… after everything… I… I couldn't let them take him away from me."

Sousuke tightened his grip around her waist and closed his eyes before nuzzling her affectionately. "It's okay, I'm here." He whispered to her and she nodded slowly.

She took a deep breath. "Even with me fighting… he got hurt. He's gotten hurt so often protecting me." She glanced at Sousuke. "Daddy, I love him…"

* * *

><p><strong>28 March 2000, 20:25 hrs<strong>

**New York City, State of New York, United States**

**Apartment 738, Woolworth Towers**

Shunya Chidori swallowed, trying desperately to figure out what had happened to his daughter. He'd known at some level that this boy... this Sousuke had become important to her. He'd even been briefed on the organization he represented and so forth.

He'd never met him, and here his eldest daughter had declared that she loved the boy. The Japanese upbringing that he'd been brought up with stirred, enraged by the events, and he'd been unable to hold off snapping back at her. Now on the television he could see a dark haired youth comforting his daughter.

He wished he was in the boy's place, but he understood. Years earlier he had served in the JSDF, been a soldier of sorts for a term before moving on to being a diplomat for his country and then the United Nations. The boy had fought off an American attack that much was apparent and considering the destruction he saw on the television, it made his heart shatter.

Still, there were lines and Kaname had crossed them. Part of him wanted to bring her back to New York, but that impulse was immediately quashed by one simple truth.

He'd be bringing her to the very country that had tried to abduct her. Shunya gritted his teeth and swallowed.

"Daddy?" Kaname asked her voice timid.

He wanted to snap at her, to rant about her becoming involved in with this boy. Then he thought back to the brief he'd gotten on him and knew that interfering was futile, he'd fought a one man war to get her back... even been nuked in the process.

There simply was no stopping him.

"Daddy?"

"Kana... are you sure?" He asked quietly.

There was a short pause and he hoped that she'd recant, take back those words, but knew it wouldn't happen. She was as stubborn as he had been, and even more outspoken and fiery thanks to her time in the States.

"Yes." She said quietly, and he could imagine tears forming in his daughter's eyes as she readied herself to be verbally beaten down and destroyed by her father for violating his trust.

He couldn't do it... His voice failed him for the first time in years and he choked on those words, unable to speak them. Slowly he glanced at Ayame watching him from the table and swallowed. "Kana... You know I do not approve of what you've done." He said quietly.

"I know."

"And I am very wary of this Sagara Sousuke, and Mithril at this point." He continued on quietly.

"Daddy..."

Shunya took a deep breath. "But... he's kept you alive, saved you more times than I can count." He rubbed his forehead and shut his eyes, pained by what he felt their circumstances demanded. "They saved you, he saved you, so... I... I cannot demand he give you up when he has done more for you then I have in the last two years."

Kaname's voice seemed to shake with shock. "Daddy?"

"You... you have my permission Kaname… if you really feel this way, and he does as well... I..." He sighed. "I cannot deny the man that has walked through hell to bring my daughter back to me."

"Daddy... Thank you." Kaname's voice was a whisper. "It means a lot to me..."

"Can you, can you tell me what exactly happened?"

* * *

><p><strong>29 March 2000, 10:40 hrs<strong>

**Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan**

**Ministry of Foreign Affairs**

"It was Delta Force." The JSDF Colonel said in a voice that was hard with anger. "AH-6Js with that sort of equipment... It's definitely Delta."

Minister Kōno stared at the report before him as the television sat in the corner of office reporting on the incident. Already he had his secretary keeping the American Secretary of State on hold until he decided what to do.

Jerome Borda stepped into the room and closed his eye for a moment. "The situation has radically changed, if you wish to renegotiate or rescind your deal I understand."

"No..." Minister Kōno stated flatly. "We have been too dependent on the Americans for our Defense, with the equipment you can provide this country, and perhaps even personnel of your own we will no longer need them." He tapped the secretary's button on the phone. "Call a press conference."

"What will you tell them?" Borda asked.

Minister Kōno smiled coolly. "The truth, that the United States government attempted to kidnap a Japanese citizen, the daughter of a High Commissioner in the United Nations, and that a private security firm which had offered protection fought them off. As to why they attacked, we'll leave that up to the media to figure out."

Borda nodded. "And your response?"

"We will demand the removal of all American Forces from our borders, and the expatriation of all Mithril Personnel captured by their government." Minister Kōno said simply, his smile growing wider and more predatory at that moment. "The second element will be secret, you understand?"

"Of course." Jerome Borda stated. "Though I doubt it will stay that way indefinitely."

He tapped the phone again. "Put Secretary Albright through."

* * *

><p><strong>28 March 2000, 20:58 hrs.<strong>

**Washington, District of Columbia, United States**

**White House Situation Room**

Madeleine Albright was pale as she listened to the Minister of Japan state quite calmly his demands in response to the attack. Across from her, she saw President Clinton watching. The rest of the Generals and other administrative figures held their breath.

Slowly she sat the phone down and swallowed. "Minister Kōno will be hosting a news conference shortly. He's... demanded the removal of all American Forces from Japan—"

Her words were stopped by shocked exclamations from the group and nervous muttering.

She took a deep breath and continued. "…And said he will be telling the media that it was an American team of Delta Force Operatives behind the attack."

There were gasps from the assembled Generals and Diplomats, and President Clinton looked down at the tabletop.

"He will suggest that the motive for the attack was that the owner of the apartment is the daughter of a United Nations High Councilor, from the way he spoke I gather that he knew of the true motive for the assault." Secretary Albright said quietly.

"In addition, they will demand the expatriation of all Mithril Personnel held by the United States." Madeline swallowed as shouts began to fill the room.

Generals that had watched the battle in Alaska looked livid while others looked pale.

"Mr. President?" She asked quietly.

"Have all captured Mithril Personnel prepared for flight to Tokyo International." He said. His voice was just as quiet. "After their news conference I will speak to the nation, and explain that this was an operation spearheaded by General Gordon and Sandy Berger. Hopefully that will satisfy the public's demand for blood. We'll also quietly remove the warrant for Admiral Borda's arrest, as I'm sure he is now in Tokyo."

"Yes Mr. President." Madeline Albright said.

"You're just going to give them up?" One of the General's asked.

The President shut his eyes and nodded. "We gambled and lost, not its time to pay the other player."

* * *

><p><strong>29 March 2000, 11:10 hrs<strong>

**Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan**

**Conference Room, Ministry of Foreign Affairs**

Minister of Foreign Affairs Kōno Yōhei took a deep breath as he laid the rather simple speech he'd outlined in the few moments before the conference. Behind him stood other Ministers, members of the Defense Forces, and a white Caucasian man clad in a simple suit of navy blue and white.

"Good Morning." Kono said as he flipped open the binder and took a deep breath. "At approximately nine-fifty-five this morning, a team of American Special Forces from the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta, a group more commonly known as Delta Force, launched an attack aimed at the abduction of Miss Chidori Kaname of Chofu. This is the second time foreign nationals have made a concerted effort at abducting Miss Chidori, but the first time that a nation that Japan thought a friend launched such an effort."

He coughed and glanced at Jerome Borda, knowing that none of the local reporters recognized him. "In the days preceding this attack, we had been warned by Admiral Jerome Borda, formerly of Mithril that Miss Chidori was being targeted and hired a private security company to ensure her safety. This team succeeded in defending Miss Chidori and that she was unharmed in the conflict. One of her bodyguards however is in critical condition and another was wounded."

"As thanks to his efforts, we have formally offered Admiral Jerome Borda asylum, and he has accepted." Prime Minister Kōno nodded to Borda who smirked faintly back.

"The actions of the United States have made it clear that they no longer represent a friend of Japan. In response to these aggressive acts, we will no longer allow the United States access to our territories, bases, or infrastructure. All American Military units have one week to remove themselves from our nation. If they are not withdrawn, they will be forcibly removed."

Kōno stared at the cameras and took a deep breath. "It is with great sadness that we take these actions, as America has long been a symbol for democracy and freedom. We have long had a partnership, but we can no longer maintain it in the face of such a shocking betrayal. Thank you for your time." He closed the folder and took a deep breath as the storm of questions began.

* * *

><p><strong>29 March 2000, 11:33 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Parking Lot, Mansion K Apartments**

Kaname watched as the ambulance drove away with Sousuke in the back, the boy had griped and complained about being forced to go for stitches from the wound. Wraith's ambulance was long gone. Kaname let out a tired sighed as Kurz and Melissa wandered over to her. Tessa and Sara were off to the side talking quietly.

"Kaname, how are you feeling?" Melissa asked quietly.

Kaname closed her eyes and took a calming breath. "I... I will be alright given some time." She glanced up at the utter destruction that had been wrought on her apartment and closed her eyes. She'd seen the police carrying out the dead and loading them on an ambulance.

She shuddered before stumbling toward the door to the apartments. "I need to get some of my things." She said quietly and Kurz nodded.

"Wait, we'll come with you." Melissa said. "With us working together we can get this done faster."

Kaname nodded and closed her eyes. "We'll need to gather some of Sousuke's things as well." She took a deep breath before her phone rang and she pulled it out. A slight smile played across her lips as she flipped it open. "Tokiwa?"

"Kana! Are you okay? I just saw it on the news and wanted to make sure and..."

Kaname swallowed. "I am fine, Sousuke needs stitches and... umm... Wraith is in the hospital."

"Wraith? She's hurt?" Kyoko said. "Will she be alright?"

"I... I don't know." Kaname said quietly as she walked up the stairs to the fourth floor. "She was in bad shape Ky."

"I... can you tell me where she's being held, I... I owe her." Kyoko said quietly.

"I will when I find out, okay? Sousuke's there to, getting stitched up." Kaname said as she walked over to where her door had once been. The Delta Force Operatives had blown the door in, and Sousuke had blown them up once they scrambled inside, utterly demolishing the doorway. She stepped over the blasted door and bent down over the collection of shoes before shaking her head.

They'd all been torn apart in the explosion. Some of them even were blackened from flames. She closed her eyes and stepped past. "Ky... I, I'll call you back, okay?"

"Kay..." Then the call ended with a click.

Kaname put away the phone and stepped over the blood stained floor as the two Mithril Operatives followed her. Kurz let out a low whistle as he saw the damage around the door. "Sousuke really went all out."

"Shh... Kaname, do you still have a panic bag?" Melissa asked.

"Yes." She said as she stepped over to the closet and pushed open the door. It fell out of its frame with a thump and she sighed. "Sousuke... did you have to totally destroy my apartment?"

"You know, he did it to protect you." Melissa said quietly as she batted away a loose ceiling panel and stepped into the living room.

Kaname pulled her panic bag from closet and swung it over her shoulder before turning to Melissa. The veteran operative stared down at the shattered glass by the window and Kaname saw a dozen spent cartridges on the floor, some of them for the American rifles, others from the two Glock pistols they'd had.

An empty magazine sat where Kaname had stood, firing at the attackers in panic and rage. She stepped over to it and picked it up, then looked to the Glock 26 sitting on the floor just a few feet away. Kaname picked it up and slid the empty magazine into the Glock 26 before slipping the pistol into her pocket.

"Kaname?" Melissa asked quietly as she saw the pistol slip into a pocket.

"Sousuke will want it back... there's ammunition somewhere, I'm not sure where. He'll want that too." Kaname said as she walked over to the door to her room and pushed it open. She let out a sigh of relief, as nothing seemed to have been damaged beside the windows and one wall from a whirling rotor blade. She walked over to the dresser and pulled a small duffel bag out from underneath it.

Kurz opened a drawer and whistled behind her.

"Kurz, you better not be eyeing my underwear!" Kaname snapped and she smiled faintly as the drawer slammed shut. "Why don't you find Sousuke's things? Some of them are out in the living area."

"Right." Kurz said as he hustled away leaving Melissa and Kaname alone in the room.

Melissa chuckled quietly. "Good job."

"His antics are the last thing I need to deal with right now." Kaname grumbled as she pulled out some more clothes and stuffed the duffel bag. After a few minutes, she found a second duffel and started to fill it as Melissa found a third and set to work. Some of Sousuke's clothes had managed to work their way into one of her closets and she packed them away for him without a word.

Soon they had four duffel bags full of clothes and Melissa hefted two of them over her shoulder. They walked back into the living area and Kaname tossed one of the bags to Kurz who had found and packed Sousuke's rucksack. A few minutes later, they were making their way back down the stairs and out to the car which had brought them.

"Melissa... Where are we going to stay?" She asked quietly.

Melissa tossed a duffel in the back of the car and sighed. "I reserved the rooms around ours just in case something happened." She pulled out a set of keycards and handed them to Kaname. "Room 334."

"Thank you." Kaname said quietly.

* * *

><p><strong>28 March 2000, 18:30 hrs<strong>

**Elmendorf Air Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Base Cafeteria, near on base Civilian Quarters**

Christian Amanpour stared at the television screen and furrowed her brow in thought. Around her the rest of the news team that CNN had sent to Alaska just days earlier had gathered, many of them scanning laptops or watching the television like she was.

It was showing CNN and she saw Wolf Blitzer talking with Lou Dobbs. "What are your thoughs Lou?"

"You know... what the Japanese Minister said this afternoon, and I have to wonder if they're shooting themselves in the foot. Japan is in a strategically precarious position with North Korea and China to their immediate west, and Russia to their north. They have ongoing border disputes over the Kuril Islands with Russia as well. The A21 and Jindai High School incidents show that they really don't have the military capacity to defeat a high technology foe like the Russians." Lou Dobbs tapped the top of his desk with a pen. "Not without us anyway?"

"Can you blame them?" John King cut in immediately. "American Special Forces launch an apparent operation whose goal was the abduction of a Japanese Teen, even if she wasn't the daughter of a UN High Commissioner, they'd want us out for this."

"I suppose not, but I have to ask... why? Why did Sandy Berger and General Gordon apparently approve this operation? What did we see to gain from abducting this girl?" Lou Dobbs asked. "Isn't this the same girl that was abducted by terrorists in the Jindai High Incident?"

Christian Amanpour folded her hands after a moment and swallowed. Jindai High School, Mithril, A21, the Gulfstream IV that had escaped, and now an abduction attempt by the girl that had been targeted by the organization known as Amalgam. Something was up, something big and she couldn't help but feel that she was missing one single important piece of the picture. "Contact Atlanta..."

Her producer looked up from a bit of footage that he'd been working on from the interviewed Mithril soldiers and arched an eyebrow. "Christian?"

"I just realized something." She said and stopped when one of the photographers looked out the window and gasped.

She spun and stared, her eyes widening as she saw lines of people being lead from the barracks under guard and recognized them as the Mithril Personnel that they'd been interviewing.

"What's going on?" The photographer asked.

Christian turned back toward the television screen. "What was it that the Japanese Minister demanded... the American Military's withdrawal from Japan?"

Her producer nodded.

"Who would they replace them with?" She asked.

Slowly he lowered his fork to the plate and stared at her. "You mean... them?"

* * *

><p><strong>28 March 2000, 20:15 hrs<strong>

**Elmendorf Air Base, State of Alaska, United States**

**Tarmac near the Improvised Prisoner Area**

Lt. Colonel Tod D. Wolters stood at the top of his Humvee, watching the Mithril prisoners shuffle toward the gapping maw of the C-17 Globemaster that was parked at the end of the tarmac. Glancing through the group, he caught sight of the two troopers that had held him until the surrender and saw that they'd been given their weapons back.

"What's going on Colonel?" His driver asked from behind the wheel. "The MPs are giving them their gear back!"

"I don't know..." Colonel Wolters said before hopping off and walking toward the C-17. As he walked, he listened to the eclectic collection of voices and accents that came from the group. When he got to the side of the Globemaster he found the crew chief waving the prisoners aboard and pointing them toward benches. "Chief? What's going on?"

"Orders from Washington... The Mithril people are being expatriated to Japan." He said as he waved his hand and a woman clad in the blacks of the Special Response Team uniform stumbled to a stop.

"Japan? Why?" She asked in a strange accent.

The Chief shrugged. "No idea, we're just taking you lot to Tokyo International, apparently there'll be somebody waiting for you."

* * *

><p><strong>29 March 2000, 15:58 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Hotel Lobby, Kawasaki Green Plaza Hotel**

Teletha Tesstarossa let out a sigh of relief as the familiar voice of Jerome Borda spoke through the speaker of her cell phone. Across from her, Sarah Miller sat with Al's casing clutched to her face. A nervous shudder ran down the girl's spine as she sat back and closed her eyes.

"Tessa, it's good to hear that you are alright, the information the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had was rather fragmented." Jerome Borda said quietly.

Tessa let out a sigh. "I have not looked at the news. I assume things have been quite busy on that front?"

"Yes, very busy... Yesterday Minister Kōno approved of the plan to support Sword and Shield, now he's given the United States an ultimatum. The public portion includes the immediate withdrawal of all American Forces from Japan." Jerome said. "I believe it's going to send the Pentagon into a panic planning that move."

Tessa smiled faintly at that. "You said the public portion?"

"Minister Kōno has demanded the expatriation of all Mithril Forces to Japan. I want you to find a place for them to stay." Jerome Borda said. "We've been told that the Americans are following through with that as well and that a number of C-17s with our people are on the way to Haneda."

Tessa's eyes widened. "Admiral, do... where?"

"A hotel will do for now... I believe I have sufficient funds remaining in my account, at least to put them up for a month or two." Borda's voice turned tired. "Tessa, I am growing to old for this... and to properly accomplish the mission I think a Whispered should head the organization."

Tessa's eyes were the size of saucers as she nearly dropped the phone. "Uncle Jerry?"

"I want you to lead Sword and Shield Tessa... My presentation to the people here revealed some of the technologies we've developed. I'd suggest partnering with some Japanese based firms, Mitsubishi, Honda, Tokyo U, and the SDF. Lend out people as trainers for a fee, sell design schematics, do whatever it takes to get this organization going. I'll help you, but I think it really should be your show from now on." Borda said. "Think of me as your liaison with the Japanese government for now."

"Yes Uncle... I'll get right on that. Could you ask the JSDF to provide buses or trucks to get our people from Haneda to here..." Tessa said as she stood and pulled out the account information for the Jerome Borda. "I am at the Kawasaki Green Plaza Hotel just across the river from Miss Chidori's residence."

"Good, I'll see about the transport." Borda said.

The phone call ended and Sarah glanced up at her. "Tessa, what was that about?"

"Uncle Jerry wants me to lead Sword and Shield and rent out a hotel for our people." Tessa said.

"Our people?" Sarah looked confused.

Tessa smiled at her. "The Americans are flying over the people they captured in Alaska, since the Japanese Government demanded it... you know, what they did could be seen as an act of war."

"They're sending them?" Sarah suddenly leapt up and pulled Tessa into a hug. "That's great!"

"Please, be careful of my casing." Al said from between the two girls.

Tessa snickered. "I'll see about hiring this place."

She walked over to the counter and stared at the Hotel Manager, an amused smile playing across her lips as she leaned over the counter and said in Japanese. "I am afraid I must reserve the hotel for the next few weeks."

"A room correct?" The Manager said.

"No... The entire hotel," Tessa said as she looked at the man. "We're willing to pay you for the inconvenience."

The manager stared wide eyed at her before stuttering. "The… whole hotel?"

Tessa nodded and grinned at him.

* * *

><p><strong>29 March 2000, 16:05 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 334, Kawasaki Green Plaza Hotel**

Kaname Chidori stood in the Hotel Room and dropped one of her duffel bags onto the counter that ran along one wall. Then she stumbled into the bathroom and dropped the second bag within. A moment later, Mao set the other two bags and Sousuke's rucksack in the room.

"Kaname?" Melissa asked as she caught sight of her staring into the mirror.

"Hmm?" She turned back toward Melissa. "I'm sorry. I was just thinking I need a shower..."

Melissa smiled faintly. "I know... Listen, Kurz and I are right next door, and Tessa and Sarah are in the room across the hall if you need anything. I've got directions for a restaurant nearby as well."

Kaname nodded. "Any word on Wraith?"

Melissa shook her head. "The moment I hear anything, I'll tell you."

"Thank you." Kaname said. "I'll be taking that shower."

"SHOWER?" Kurz called from just outside the door and Kaname rolled her eyes while Melissa pushed the horny German out the door. When it clicked shut and she heard it lock, Kaname let out a sigh of relief.

She slipped out of her dirty and tattered clothes, and stared into the mirror. With a scowl she reached up and brushed out a cloud of drywall dust from her hair and growled. She slowly looked over herself and saw for the first time the dozens of small scratches that marked where tiny bits of debris had pierced her clothes.

Kaname groaned as she looked down at her belly and saw that she still hadn't put on the weight she'd lost in Amalgam's care. Each of her ribs was still visible, and while her figure looked toned and thin, it wasn't as fleshed out and healthy as it had once been.

"Amalgam... the Soviets... the Americans." She grumbled as she stumbled into the shower and slid the curtain into place. "Why can't people leave me alone?"

Kaname stood beneath the showerhead and relaxed for the first time since her relatively peaceful morning had been shattered as the hot spray slammed against her back. She felt her muscles shudder as the tension which had been in them finally faded away. She'd been so busy and worried that she hadn't noticed until that moment how taut and stressed she felt.

Tears slid down her cheeks, hidden by the spray of the shower but she knew they were there. Sousuke was hurt, and while he acted as if it was nothing... he hadn't called since leaving for the hospital.

"Baka... he's probably just enjoying the pampering of the nurses." She snapped to herself then shut her eyes. "No... He wouldn't, Kurz would, but not him..."

Her mind slowly replayed the events of the morning, the assault by the American Delta Force Team. She watched in her mind's eye as Wraith was loaded into the ambulance, her leg bloody and mangled with the crazed policewoman, Wakana, dictating a report by the side of the ambulance.

The conversation with her father, the exhausting talk that had shocked and delighted her while Sousuke sat on the Ambulance listening. Then she sighed.

"Sousuke... what am I going to do with you?" Her face slowly brightened as she remembered the night before and how the stoic sergeant had cuddled her in his sleep. She could feel his affections for her, sense it in his actions, but... it was always a bit hidden, a bit reserved.

Any other boy would have taken advantage of their situation long ago... but not Sousuke, and she blushed as she realized she looked forward to when he'd finally take her. She giggled faintly as she thought about how clumsy and difficult it was for him to express himself to her.

Her father's likely disapproval was certainly something that had weighed down on her, checking her own desires... now that she had confessed her actions to him and retained his good graces, those restraints had slipped off.

Kaname flushed as her imagination ran a little wild on what it would mean for her... She loved him, even slept with him, cuddling him like a little Bonta-kun during the night, and she knew it wasn't just her that was comforted in the middle of the night. He would often wake with a jolt from a nightmare and hug her tightly without saying a word.

She sighed and asked herself. "Kaname... what are you thinking?"

I want him... She admitted and chewed her lip. I... well, it does beg the question, what will it take to get Sousuke to... to... Her already inflamed cheeks burned brightly as she completed the thought.

What will it take for Sousuke to make love to me?

She shut off the shower as it began to run cold and swallowed. As she dried off she pondered her situation.

How many girls had to push their boyfriends into having sex? She thought with a bit of a laugh and felt a slight surge of despair. Why did it take her pushing for it to happen? Wasn't she attractive enough for him?

She walked over to the bag and pulled on some fresh clothes as a light knock on the door drew her attention.

"Yes?" Kaname called.

Mao's voice answered her. "We're going out for supper with Tessa and Sarah, I wondered if you wanted to come along."

Kaname smiled. "I'll be right there Melissa."

* * *

><p><strong>29 March 2000, 19:03 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Nippon Medical School Musashi Kosugi Hospital**

Sagara Sousuke sat outside the surgery, his gaze flicking to the small bandage that now covered the graze that had been sown shut. He'd been discharged within an hour of arriving, but had stayed around... calling Kaname every few hours to ensure she was alright with the others.

He stayed there because through the doors lay the one woman in Kaname Chidori's protection detail that had been grievously harmed by the fight with the Americans. It'd taken a great deal of persistence, but he'd managed to convince the doctors and nurses to inform him of her progress.

Wraith had been admitted with severe blood loss and four separate bullet wounds, three of which were from a 7.62x51mm Minigun that had caught her leg. Those three rounds had broken bone, torn tendons, ripped apart muscle fiber, and nearly made the woman bleed out atop the roof, and still she'd fought on, delivering two fatal shots against the pilot and co-pilot of the vary helicopter that had so grievously injured her.

He'd brushed her off as just a spy since he'd first been informed of the Intelligence Department's lookout, but now realized the woman was just as much a fighter as he was, just of a different sort.

It had been eight hours since they'd started surgery, and Sousuke felt his hope in the woman's recovery fade by the moment. He knew her wounds were potentially fatal, and that on a battlefield like Afghanistan she'd have died of her wounds already as there was nothing that the locals could do.

The door clicked open and the surgeon stepped out and let out a tired sigh. "Mr. Sagara?"

Sousuke glanced up at the man. "Sir."

"Miss Wraith is stable, we've managed to remove a number of shattered bone fragments from her leg, seal the ruptured veins and arteries, sew a number of tendons back into place, and give her a transfusion. I think that she'll be able to regain nearly full use of her legs eventually, though that will be a long rehabilitation... The wound to her arm from the graze was inconsequential."

Sousuke blinked at his words before swallowing. "She is stable then, and you believe she'll recover?"

"Yes Mr. Sagara, she will recover... I suspect it will be several days before she will entertain visitors though." The doctor walked away leaving Sousuke leaning against the wall.

"I suppose this means I should offer you a ride back to the hotel." A familiar voice called out from just around the corner. Sousuke turned and stared as Farzen Zalad leaned against a post, his courier bag hanging off one shoulder. "I think your Angel is getting nervous without you." He observed.

Sousuke swallowed. "I... I wished to thank her."

Farzen nodded. "She will not be awake to hear your thanks for several days though Kashim."

"It's not a problem."

"Kashim..." Farzen sighed and looked down at Sousuke. "You really need to go back to your woman. She is likely worried about you as are your friends. You should tell them that Wraith will survive."

Sousuke nodded. "You are right, when did you become so wise Farzen?"

"It must rub off from being around your father." Farzen said. "Come on Sousuke, I've borrowed a ride and we can get you to wherever your woman is."

Sosuke stumbled. "Majhid... I had forgotten with all the other things that had happened over the last few days. He truly wants to see me?"

"Yes, he does." Farzen turned to him. "He... when the woman we captured informed us you were supposed to be dead... well, I am glad your father did not believe her immediately. I do not think he would have handled it well."

"And... he wishes to meet Kaname." Sousuke let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair. He pursed his lips in thought. "I will have to speak with her, but this would be a better time than most as there are yet a few weeks before school begins."

"You'll come?" Farzen asked in surprise.

"After making my own arrangements to insure her safety, I will come." Sousuke said quietly. "Nothing matters more to me than that."


	24. Chapter 22: It's Always Awkward

_Author's Note: LEMON WARNING and final chapter… I've striven to keep the characters as in character as possible, which has resulted in probably one of the most awkward Kaname – Sousuke moments yet. You have been warned._

**Sword and Shield**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 22:<strong> It's Always Awkward

* * *

><p><strong>Love <strong>1. _n._ (uncountable) An intense feeling of affection and care towards another person. 2. _n. _(uncountable) A deep or abiding liking for something. 3. _n. _(uncountable) A profound and caring attraction towards someone. 4. _n. _(countable) The object of one's romantic feelings; a darling or sweetheart. 5. _n._ (colloquial) A term of friendly address, regardless of feelings. 6. _v. _(transitive) To have a strong affection for. 7. _v._ (transitive) To need, thrive on. 8._ v._ (transitive, colloquial) To be strongly inclined towards something; an emphatic form of _like_. 10. _v. _(transitive) To care deeply about, to be dedicated to. 11. _v._ (transitive) To derive delight from a fact or situation. 12. _v. _(transitive) To lust for. 13. _v._ (transitive, euphemistic) To have sex with, (perhaps from make love.)

* * *

><p><strong>29 March 2000, 19:36 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Hotel Restaurant, Kawasaki Green Plaza Hotel**

Kaname sighed as she glanced down at the remains of her meal. Across from her Mao smirked. "You okay Kaname? Sousuke will be fine, it's not like he hasn't taken a hit or two for you before."

"I know damn it!" Kaname slumped forward and sighed. "That's why I feel like crap. Even with me fighting I couldn't stop him from getting hurt." She closed her eyes. "If he died…"

"Sousuke just got nicked. He's not going to die that easy." Kurz said quickly. "The hospital just wanted to sew up the wound… and he went along with it just to ease your mind babe."

"I know, I mean if it'd been worse than that." Kaname sighed. "He's been hurt worse coming back from a mission then that and I had to bandage him up. It's the 'what if' that's haunting me Kurz. You understand? What if it was Melissa that took a round?"

Kurz turned white and slowly nodded. "Okay, okay… I understand. He'll be back here in a few hours anyway."

Melissa sighed. "So Kaname… Sousuke's been back for a while and he's been staying at the apartment… have you two?"

Kurz arched an eyebrow and grinned.

Kaname felt her face heat up with a sudden blush. "Uhh… no, we didn't do anything like that… not that I'd mind…"

"Well Tessa said something about you not being able to sleep without him." Melissa grinned wickedly. "So let me guess, you sleep together but haven't slept together?" She laughed as Kaname looked back down at her plate and fumed.

"That sounds backwards to me!" Kurz joked. "I mean, I slept with Mao before we hooked up, but that was only in survival situations."

Mao giggled. "So what's the problem Kaname? Can't work up the courage to offer up the goods, or even mention it?"

"I… would he even know how to react? He's so clueless most of the time." Kaname said deflecting the question as best she could.

"If having sex required an education I'm sure human beings would be extinct." Mao said briskly. "Are you afraid he'd reject you?"

"No! Of course not!" Kaname said quickly nearly snapping the chopsticks in her hands in two as her grip tightened.

"I know, she's scared." Kurz said.

"Of what? Being embarrassed?" Melissa rolled her eyes. "Listen, it's not like I'm encouraging you to bang my friend…"

"But you are." Kurz said quietly before a slap hit him in the side of his head from Mao.

"But, if you really want to… I'd suggest being as upfront as possible. Sousuke isn't the most knowledgeable sort in things like this but even he can't be so stupid not to know what his girlfriend showing her body off to him means." Mao said plainly. "And since we stuck you two alone in a hotel room…" She smirked. "What else would two people your age do in a hotel room?"

Kaname's cheeks were as scarlet as they came and she glanced down at the table. _Show off my body? Does she mean… but I've seen how he reacts to me in a swimsuit and I don't have any lingerie…_ She shuddered as she realized the ultimate implication. "Melissa! Are you saying I should strut about naked till he gets a clue?"

Kurz nearly fell out of the chair and began laughing as the other people in the restaurant glanced over at them confused and Kaname was immediately grateful she'd said that in English, hopefully there weren't that many that remembered their own classes in the language listening in. Her cheeks got even redder as she stared down at her plate.

"I can provide some liquid courage if you need it." Melissa joked.

"Damn, Sousuke is such a lucky bastard…" Kurz wheezed as he tried to pull himself upright.

_This is a terrible idea!_ Kaname swallowed down a lump in her throat and stared at the two friends. "Seriously, don't you have any better advice?"

Mao sighed. "Not really, Sousuke may have gotten a lot better in social situations and understanding emotions and all that but he's still really, really sheltered. Plus I think he's got some baggage about that from his upbringing, I can't imagine Ahmad Shah Massoud ever discussing sex with him besides saying: don't do it till you're married."

"He is a bit of prude that way, he did ask me 'when's the marriage?' when he found out me and Mao had an… encounter." Kurz sighed. "As if Melissa would ever want to be married to anybody."

"Look in the mirror Kurz." Melissa said and shrugged. "I'm sorry Kaname but getting Sousuke into bed for that… well, it'll require a bit more than most guys."

"More like almost infinitely more." Kurz agreed.

Kaname sighed and looked down at the table again. _They're right, it's not like he's like most guys. Though sometimes I wonder if he's just better at suppressing it then they are… that first time I wore the white bikini he shot the wrong watermelon, it's not like him to make a mistake like that._ She set her jaw and sighed. "Damn… You're probably right Melissa, and I can't see him bringing it up on his own."

"It's alright." Melissa grinned. "Though I do know he carries condoms."

"What?" Kaname asked in surprise.

"They make a decent emergency water bottle, I'm still not sure he knows what they're designed for." Melissa said.

"Oh come on, he went to High School for a year, I'm sure one of the boys informed him… or shot their mouths off." Kurz sighed. "Plus, I might have suggested something about it once or twice."

"Okay, that's enough!" Kaname said as she raised her hands. "I'm sure Tessa and Sarah would love to hear us discussing this when they come back."

"Discussing what?" Tessa asked as she stepped up beside the table and giggled as Kaname's head thumped against the table.

"Just Sousuke's continued virginity." Kurz said with a snicker.

Tessa's face blushed scarlet as Sarah sat down besides Kaname giggling. Kaname groaned, her embarrassment now reaching new heights. "Can we just drop it? Surely there are more important things for you to talk about."

"Not really, the Admiral has got it all figured out I bet." Melissa said with a grin. "Plus, your reactions are just too entertaining to pass up."

Tessa's grey eyes narrowed as she glanced at Kaname. "Really, I can't believe how juvenile these two are."

Melissa and Kurz froze in surprise. "Eh?"

"Not starting this topic while I was here…" Tessa said as she suddenly grinned and watched Kaname groan.

"Why?" Kaname muttered. "Why do I have to be so harassed about this all the time? Next Kyoko is going to show up and start bugging me about it…" She sighed. "Fine, if you all so knowledgeable experts have advice I'm all ears."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Considering I've been designing Arm Slaves in Alaska since my head got cleared out of all the drugs I got injected with in Russia… I haven't had a chance to socialize."

"And Tessa is running a submarine which once again leaves us with Kurz and Melissa as our experts." Kaname sighed.

Tessa sighed. "Fine, so what did they say?"

"Let them repeat it…" Kaname groaned before her phone rumbled in her pocket. Sighing she pulled it out and flipped it open. "Mushi mushi?"

Her mood brightened as she heard Sousuke's voice. "Kaname, I just got out of the hospital and am on my way over to the hotel. Farzen managed to get a room there as well, so he's giving me a ride."

"How does Farzen have a ride?" Kaname asked.

"I'm not sure, he may have borrowed it." Sousuke said.

Kaname grinned. "Just be careful then, the last thing we need is you running across officer Wakana again!"

"Affirmative, I'll see you in thirty minutes or so." Sousuke answered. "Love you."

"I love you too." Kaname answered as the phone connection broke and she closed the cell phone. Seeing the stares from her cohorts she frowned. "What?"

"Must have been Sousuke…" Melissa said. "She looks so much happier."

"Clearly." Tessa said. "Now what did Weber suggest? I bet it was really…"

"Uh, I didn't suggest anything." Kurz said.

"Melissa!" Tessa glanced at the older woman who was grinning like a Cheshire cat.

Melissa leaned back. "That's between me and Kaname."

* * *

><p><strong>29 March 2000, 18:43 hrs<strong>

**Fayzabad, Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan**

**The Home of the General Majhid**

Sabine Refiola stared down at the meal she'd been given and let out a slow sigh, across from her General Majhid was studying a topographical map of the region strewn with hand drawn markers for units and defenses.

"Sabine... You seem to be in far better shape then you arrived." Bdakstan's Tiger said quietly and she nodded. "Good... I think you should be able to start repaying the debt you owe for your care."

She nodded once, sipped her cup of broth then took a deep breath. "I have heard rumors that you sent a courier to Japan."

The General nodded. "It is no rumor."

"He is dead." She stated flatly. "If only she had died as well." Sabine stood and pulled the hajib around her face. "You don't believe me?"

"I believe you tried... but I would not believe it for certain until I see a body." The leader of the Northern Alliance said.

Sabine scowled before turning away. She had to admit, the man had a point... very few people could escape death as reliably as Sagara Sousuke.

* * *

><p><strong>29 March 2000, 23:21 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 334, Kawasaki Green Plaza Hotel**

Kaname closed the door to the bathroom and took a deep breath. She could hear Sousuke in the other room working on something or another and she closed her eyes.

_Should I do this?_ She thought as she pulled off her shirt and dropped it into the pile of dirtied clothes. She glanced back into the mirror as she fidgeted nervously with her bra.

_This is a bad idea._ She thought. _Only Melissa would be brazen enough to walk out naked, no... I can't go that far. I won't... it's a bad idea._

But she took a calming breath and tried to push away those thoughts. _Okay, maybe doing this naked is too much... maybe, maybe I should just wear my unmentionables?_

She smiled faintly and flushed at the thought of Sousuke stammering on seeing her. The image of him so stunned by her appearance sent her heart fluttering and she hurriedly slipped out of her clothes.

* * *

><p>Sousuke muttered under his breath as he loaded one of the magazines for the Glock 17. In the fight with Delta Force he'd nearly expended both magazines and Kaname had managed to empty the Glock 26.<p>

With a practiced thumb he pushed the last of the 9x19mm Parabellum rounds into the magazine then slapped it against his hand ensuring the rounds were secure. Sighing he picked up the Glock 17 and slammed the magazine home and chambered a round before ensuring the weapon's safety was on the safe position.

Weapon safety training would have been ashamed of him having a round chambered in the gun, but after the events of the last few days he figured that he needed every advantage if there was another attempt. Kaname and his lives depended on it, and these weren't poorly trained rent-a-mercs or terrorist thugs that were a threat to her. These were government trained special forces they'd been pitted against.

"Sousuke, you know what it means when two people our age share a hotel room…" Kaname's voice echoed from the hotel room's bathroom and he felt sweat begin to bead on his forehead.

_She… she doesn't mean 'that' does she?_ Sousuke swallowed down a lump that quickly rose in his throat. "Uhh…"

A snicker echoed out of the bathroom. "Sousuke?" He blinked realizing the voice was no longer deadened by the barrier of the door then looked over to the bathroom.

The Glock 17 dropped to the carpeted floor with a dull thump.

Sousuke felt his mouth go dry at the sight before him. Kaname was leaning against the doorway of the bathroom. She wore an impish little smile on her face. Her long black hair glistened with moisture and he felt his face redden as he noticed that all she wore were a bra and panties. A jolt of concern shot through his body as he noticed that he could see each of her ribs… _She really did lose weight under Amalgam's care._ He swallowed thickly and directed his eyes back to her face trying to force away the surge of unease.

_Kaname? Why… oh she's so beautiful but… did she forget her pajamas or wasn't there a bathrobe or…_ He felt sweat began to roll off his brow as he glanced at her again, focusing on her face trying to ignore the rest of her body.

"Uhh…" Sousuke gaped unable to get out a word let alone a complete sentence. Her giggle broke the trance he was held in and she saw that her face was flushed in embarrassment, but… she wasn't moving either.

* * *

><p><em>Maybe this was a bad idea… no, a terrible idea. <em>Kaname thought to herself as she watched Sousuke sweat buckets. She herself could feel her cheeks burning with embarrassment and she consciously suppressed an instinct to cover herself with her hands or grab the nearest towel. _Damn Melissa and her suggestions, I can't believe I'm actually doing this… and Sousuke, he looks like he's about to have a seizure. Maybe this is too fast, too early…_

"Uhh…" She almost lashed out at Sousuke for his inability to speak until she realized that this time the sound came from her lips not his.

"Kaname?" Sousuke could only get out the singular word as he choked and tried to look away but found his eyes locked on the woman he loved. He sounded flustered and worried, totally unsure of himself.

_This is why Kyoko said nothing would happen when we started living together._ Kaname thought ruefully. _He has no idea how to respond, no idea how to…_

Her thoughts stopped as she saw Sousuke take a deep breath and stand. Her breath caught in her throat as he slowly walked over to her, his face now a bright red and sweat running down his brow at a record setting pace.

"Kaname?" He asked quietly. "Are… are you sure about this?" He glanced down at the floor careful to keep his gaze from what lay hidden beneath her lacy undergarments.

"Baka, you always ask that…" She closed her eyes and sighed. _Yeah, this was a terrible idea. Damn it Melissa, just what were you hoping would happen it's not like he'd…_

She froze as she suddenly felt his warm lips press against hers and her eyes snapped open in surprise as she kissed him back, her arms running up his sides to wrap around his neck. She felt his hesitant arms wrap around her and stroke her bare back.

As their lips separated her eyes widened in surprise. "Sousuke?"

He sighed. "Kaname… I'm not sure… I don't know if… if we are ready for this."

Kaname bit her lip and nodded slowly her cheeks flushing brightly. Sousuke was about as honorable and chivalrous as they came. Perhaps it was a product of his upbringing in Afghanistan or just his nature, "I…" She felt terrible forcing the issue with this underhanded trick. _Am I even ready for this?_ Realizing she was still being held by him she swallowed a sudden lump in her throat. "I'm sorry…"

She felt tears well up in her eyes and glanced down at the floor. _I'm an idiot. I never should have listened to Mao. She's sleeping with Weber! Of course he'd be all over her if she pulled this stunt. Sousuke isn't that way._

"Kaname, please don't cry." Sousuke asked quietly as he reached up and rubbed away a tear.

_Damn it._ She thought. _Stupid Melissa and her suggestions…_ She squeezed her eyes shut and swallowed down a lump in her throat. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean… I didn't want to force you to…"

"It's not a problem… if you really want to." Sousuke swallowed nervously.

She froze, his words bouncing around in her mind. _Do I really want to?_ That thought bounced around her head as well while she looked up into his eyes, her own uncertainty rising up in her belly. _I love him, I know that and I know he loves me… if he didn't well… neither of us would be here._ She sighed again and felt herself shiver, growing colder standing their unclothed. "I…" The truth dropped over her shoulders like a load of bricks. "I don't know, I want to… but I'm so nervous and scared now that I'm thinking about it…"

Sousuke nodded. "I am too."

Kaname froze again in shock and locked her gaze with Sousuke's, the cold suddenly forgotten. _He's scared too? But… this is Sousuke, nothing scares him!_ She felt a nervous smile slip across her face. _I guess being scared isn't so bad if he is too…_ His sweating slowed as she watched and somehow she knew that the same thought had occurred to him. Slowly he leaned forward and kissed her again, his love pouring through her and she felt her heart hammer in her chest. She gasped as his hands wrapped around her back and held her closer deepening the kiss. All the fears and nervous worries each held seemed to whither under the barrage of pleasurable sensations they felt. Their lips separated and each gasped for breath.

"Sousuke…" She said almost as a whimper as her hands reached down and tugged at his shirt, pulling it off. A single bandage was wrapped around his shoulder where a bullet had grazed him. She winced inwardly as she saw the scars on his body, she'd seen many before but a new one lanced across his chest just over his heart. Now she'd have one too from where the bullet had struck her arm.

_He got that one saving me?_ She felt tears well up in her eyes as she looked up at him. _He never said anything… what caused it? Was it Karuma or Sabine?_ She felt his rough hands caress her back tenderly and closed her eyes. Every touch ignited flames of heat as he leaned down and kissed her again. His lips pressed eagerly against hers and she moaned as his tongue tangled with her own. Kaname arched against him, pressing her body against his and feeling a heat build within her belly only matched by what she felt on her face.

As they broke the kiss Sousuke leaned back and looked into her eyes. "I love you Kaname…"

"I love you too." She answered as she felt his arms tighten around her.

* * *

><p><strong>29 March 2000, 23:35 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 333, Kawasaki Green Plaza Hotel**

Melissa smirked as she lowered the glass from the wall. "Finally… God what I have to do to set those two up…"

"So are they…?" Weber asked as he stared up at the ceiling with his hands behind his head lying on the bed.

"If they were, would I tell you?" Mao asked as she set the glass on the table and glanced at the cooler filled with beer.

Kurz Weber chuckled. "I still have a fiber optic scope somewhere…" There was the thwack of an aluminum can filled with beer impacting his forehead and Mao snickered.

"You aren't peeking on them, that's an order!" Mao said sternly, careful not to raise her voice and alert the couple on the other side of the wall.

Kurz rubbed his head and glared at the dented beer can. "We're not military anymore babe, so I don't necessarily have to listen to you all the time."

Melissa rolled her eyes. "Lech."

"It's the mask I wear." Kurz said flatly. "Nah, I'll leave them alone. It's always awkward the first time anyway, and it's both of theirs so that'd be just damn uncomfortable." He sat upright and grinned. "Although, it would have been great to get a picture if Angel pulled what you suggested…"

"Keep thinking like that and I'm kicking your ass out." Melissa said but smiled. "Plus, if you want tail…"

Kurz sat bolt upright suddenly. "Melissa, are you suggesting what I think you're…"

"Only if you behave." She answered with a grin.

* * *

><p><strong>29 March 2000, 23:39 hrs<strong>

**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**

**Room 334, Kawasaki Green Plaza Hotel**

Sousuke smiled as his arms wrapped around her, holding her close. _I always forget she's shorter than me… she has such presence._ Kaname moaned in his arms, her hot breath on his neck. Her arms were wrapped around his neck as the two of them backed slowly toward the bed.

"Sousuke…" She murmured quietly as he stroked her back affectionately. Her deep brown eyes focused on him, a content smile on her lips.

He'd come a long way in understanding Chidori Kaname, and seeing her smile like this made him realize how much more he had to learn. _Maybe it's what we have to learn… Loving her and being loved by her… We've never had much time for ourselves or each other since we got back…_ Slowly he smiled back at her and leaned forward to press his lips against hers.

She tasted sweet and salty, a taste that made his heart thunder in his chest each time he experienced it. The soft texture of her lips on his was an ecstatic pleasure as she kissed him back and leaned forward against him pushing him toward the bed.

The lip of the mattress touched the back of his knees and he fell back, dragging her with him onto the soft comforter. She giggled as they broke the kiss and ran her hands along his chest. "Sousuke, when did you get this scar?" Her hands stopped over his heart.

He swallowed. "My last fight with Kurama…"

"Oh." Kaname sighed and leaned over him. "It seems you were lucky."

Sousuke closed his eyes and leaned back on the bed. "I suppose I was… not many people have gone through what I have and lived, let alone remained sane. Plus, I have you. How can I not be lucky?"

Kaname grinned and her hair tickled his chest. "Sergeant, I do believe you've learned how to make a joke."

He chuckled lightly and set up before pulling her into his lap. "I was being honest Kaname. I am immensely lucky to have you."

"And I am, to have you…" She ran a hand through his hair.

_As Al might say, it does not compute… Kaname is being affectionate._ A smirk slipped across his lips and he hugged her tightly enjoying the feel of her hair tickling his nose. The instinctive impulse to hold her at times was something he wrestled with but now… alone and on the bed, he gave it free reign.

He felt himself begin to sweat nervously as Kaname murmured and nuzzled his chest with her nose. _Okay, now I'm nervous again… but she looks so adorable cradled in my arms like this, and well her softer parts are…_ His train of thought squealed to a sudden stop as Kaname arched her back to look up at him and smile, and in the process pressed her chest into his.

Her face fell slightly at his nervous expression. "Sousuke if you want to stop…"

"Negative." He smiled softly and she grinned then leaned back reaching behind her back. After a moment the bra slid forward off her chest and she tossed it aside now wearing an impish smile.

The sight of her bare breasts couple by the blush on her face nearly tripped a circuit breaker in his mind. She always looked beautiful to him, be it when she dressed in her mother's kimono or when she wore her school uniform, the clothing didn't matter.

_If anything, it hides her beauty._ He thought to himself as she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned up to catch his lips with her own. Closing his eyes Sousuke breathed through his nose catching the fresh smell of her shampoo, the hotel's soap, and her own scent as he kissed her back and blinked in surprise as she deepened the kiss further and pressed her chest against him.

"Kaname…" He breathed as she broke the kiss and smiled at him, running her fingers across his chest and then down to the belt of his cargo pants. He jumped in surprise as she undid the buckle and removed the belt with a flourish, tossing it onto the floor behind her.

* * *

><p>Kaname grinned at the surprised look on Sousuke's face as she ran her hands up his chest again. <em>Still Sousuke…<em> She giggled to herself as she leaned forward and brushed her lips against his, teasing him. _This is fun… kissing Sousuke, hugging Sousuke, and teasing Sousuke…_ She smirked as Sousuke blinked in confusion as she leaned back, her hands slowly sliding down his chest to his pants.

A little part of her mind was screaming at her to stop, to hold back… that she was going too fast. She ignored it. _Why? He's been saving me since we met… and though I might have started out as just a mission..._ She snickered, thinking back to North Korea. _Maybe I never was, he violated orders then and saved me._

Her hands worked the button and zipper of the cargo pants and she slowly pulled them down his body, her gaze focusing on his nervous expression. As she pulled the pants off and watched them drop to the floor she laughed as a pair of smoke grenades rolled out of one pocket along with a length of piano wire. _Still my military otaku, my Sousuke._

She crawled back up to him and grinned sheepishly as his gaze locked with hers. One of his calloused hands reached up and ran along her cheek, an unreadable expression on his face. The nervous sweating was gone for the moment.

"So beautiful…" His voice was barely a whisper and Kaname felt her heart thunder in her chest.

_This is it, point of no return… Oh I love him, the idiot, moron, otaku, big stupid head…_ The train of normally offensive adjectives that ran through her brain were filled with affection for the man that had garnered them. Murmuring she leaned into his touch and closed her eyes enjoying the feel of his calloused hand on her cheek. Slowly she lifted her hand and drew his away from her cheek then leaned forward those last few centimeters between them and kissed him.

* * *

><p>Sousuke closed his eyes as her lips met his and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her to his chest as he kissed back. Kaname's eyes fluttered as their kiss broke and she looked up into his eyes. "Sousuke…"<p>

Her chocolate colored eyes focused on his, gazing deep into the depths and he felt his nerves tingling with excitement. His skin felt hot, like in the midst of a sudden fever and wherever she touched felt as if it was being burnt. His senses were fully alive. A state of awareness that even exceeded his normal hyper-sensitivity. The tickle of her long hair on his chest, the velvety softness of her skin, everything was rendered more intensely than normal. He never felt more alive than he did in that moment as Kaname's hands rand down his chest. A little impish smile slipped across Kaname's face.

"Sousuke?" The grin widened. "Condom?"

Sousuke shivered as though Kaname had poured ice water down his back and blinked. _Condom? We have no need of an emergency water bot… Oh…_ He blushed deeply and glanced down at where his pants lay. "Just a moment…"

"Let me guess, in your wallet…" Kaname giggled as he nodded. Still giggling to herself, she slipped out of his grasp and picked up his pants and searched for his wallet. After a few seconds she pulled it out and extracted a condom from its innards. She paid no attention to the pair of flash bangs that had come out along with the bill fold.

Sousuke swallowed thickly as Kaname bent over him, her hands slowly running along his waist before sliding timidly underneath the waistband of his boxers. The cool feel of her hands made him shiver as Kaname slowly pulled his boxers down then backed them past his legs. Now nude and feeling extremely vulnerable, Sousuke looked up at Kaname as she ripped open the small plastic wrapper.

* * *

><p>Kaname bit her lip as she pulled the disk of latex from the wrapper and scowled at it. <em>How do these things work anyway? Sousuke knows how to make it into a water bottle somehow but…<em> She scowled. _Stupid plastic…_ Then she nodded to herself and glanced down at him feeling herself blushing furiously. The room seemed to have suddenly developed a heat wave. She took a deep breath to calm down and slowly reached out.

Sousuke jumped at her touch, his own cheeks reddened and he was sweating nervously as Kaname slowly slid the latex sheath down his length. He gulped audibly as Kaname's hands moved up his chest and she leaned down to catch his lips once again. As she did, she caught a whiff of musk and sweat, cordite, and a hint of antiseptic since he hadn't yet gotten a chance to shower since the fight. She closed her eyes as their lips met. His tasted salty and spicy, maybe it was the cordite and explosives he was always around or maybe it was just the way he was. _Gunpowder in the blood…_ She snickered as she leaned back and looked down at him. "Sousuke…"

She jumped in his arms as she felt his hands slip down to her panties. Her heart hammered in her chest as the thin cotton fabric was slowly tugged down her waist and then her legs. She shuddered as his calloused hands stroked the side of her body. She felt damp and hot between her legs and swallowed, fighting back the embarrassment. _Considering what we're about to do…_

"I'm ready…" She whispered as he sat upright and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed the corner of her lips and held her tight to his body. She could feel his member throbbing against her. A fire raged in her gut. Every touch felt like a blast from a furnace as Sousuke slowly rolled her over onto her back.

"Sousuke…" She murmured as she felt his hands slowly caress her thighs and she looked up at him, seeing his nervous expression. _It's okay Sousuke… I won't bite. At least I don't think I will._ Her hands ran up his arms to his shoulders and pulled him down toward her. As she did, her legs rubbed softly against his thighs.

Sousuke kissed her and she closed her eyes as she felt his bare body against her. He was sweating nervously and as she felt his length brush up against her she moaned and arched her back eager to feel more of him.

"Kaname… I need to know… to know that you really want this." He said quietly, his forehead against hers and gazed locked with her eyes.

An amused smile slid across her face. _Sousuke… of course I do, you idiot!_ She nodded slowly. "Yes." Then kissed his lips and ran a hand through his hair.

Kaname gasped as she felt him at her entrance, slowly pressing inside. She arched her back and closed her eyes feeling a wave of pleasure run through her body. All too soon she felt him at her maidenhead and she braced herself. Kaname felt tears rise in her eyes as she winced against the sudden pain, she'd known it was coming and had tried to brace herself against it, but still it hurt. She bit her lip as Sousuke moved against her, pressing his hips to hers and then gasped as the tears ran down her cheeks. Before she could catch herself a pair of words spilled from her lips. "It hurts."

* * *

><p>Sousuke felt his heart freeze in his chest at the cry of pain and glanced down at her. Then he froze suddenly noticing the slight trickle of blood from her core and the way she winced against him, her body shuddering. <em>I… shit! I hurt her?<em>

He pushed himself away feeling tears well up in his eyes but as he began to move he felt her wrap her legs around him to hold him in place. "Kaname?"

"Don't stop…" She murmured as her eyes opened and locked on his.

_Don't stop? But… _"Kaname… I'm sorry… I… I didn't want to hurt you. Am I doing it wrong or…?"

"No… it's just. A girl's first time." Kaname looked up at him confused. "You… you don't know?"

"Know what Kaname?" Sousuke asked feeling terrified and angry at himself. _I hurt her out of ignorance… I hate it when I do that! Usually it's just her feelings but she's… bleeding._

"This… this happens when…" She flushed fiercely and looked up at him. Then spoke in barely a whisper. "When a girl loses her virginity."

Sousuke stared at her, his mouth opening and closing in shock for a long moment. "You mean this is normal?" He blinked in surprise as she nodded slowly. Sousuke swallowed and felt his knees quake as he looked down at her unsure what to do. Her flushed continence and rosy cheeks ate at his uncertainty as he brushed away her tears with his thumb. "I… I never meant to hurt you…"

"Idiot!" She stated.

Sousuke flinched and tried to pull away. "Kaname, I'm sorry… I…"

"Sousuke, don't you dare run away and hide now!" Kaname stammered and he felt her legs tighten around his hips like a vice. "Besides… it, it doesn't hurt anymore."

"Kaname…" Sousuke breathed, trying to will his heart to stop hammering with nervous tension.

"Damn it Sousuke!" Kaname yelled, grabbed his head by the hair, and pulled him into a kiss. Sousuke felt his heart stop as her hands tightened their grip and her tongue pushed between his lips. The desperate hunger in the kiss reignited the passion in his heart. He pushed into her. His lips still locked on hers and heard her moan into him. She rotated her hips against him and a gasp slipped out of his lips.

Kaname arched her back beneath him, pushing her body against him. Her breasts pressed flush against his chest as her arms wrapped tightly around his back. He felt her hot breath on his neck as she clung to him. As he thrust into her, the grip tightened and he felt her nails scratch into his back. The bit of pain was easily drowned out by the pleasure he felt. The murmurs of pleasure that slipped from her lips as she buried her head in the crook of his neck egged him on.

A shudder went through her body and he could feel her muscles tighten around his throbbing member. A gasp slipped from her lips and he felt her teeth on her shoulder blade as ragged breaths blew across his skin further exciting him.

"Sousuke." Kaname gasped as he plunged into her core with a frantic intensity. She tightened her grip around him, keeping him close. "Harder." She whimpered grabbing hold of the back of his head and pulling it toward her.

Everything felt hot, like a fever and Sousuke worried that he was becoming ill as he pressed himself into her, harder, faster. Her grasp tightened around him and she moaned and fisted his hair. He could feel her tightening around him like a vise and the pulse of her muscles drawing him deeper. A growing tension ran through his whole body as Kaname arched her back and looked up at him with half-lidded eyes. Then her lips were upon his and the world ceased to exist around him. He was aware of only two things, himself and the woman that he'd come to value more than anything. Nothing else mattered.

* * *

><p>Kaname found that she couldn't think, and could barely even move as the waves of pleasure and pain from Sousuke's movements washed over her. She drew ragged breaths through her nose, unwilling to remove her lips from his. The blood raging in her veins felt like magma and a scorching heat burned through every muscle starting at her core. Understandable thoughts had long since fled leaving her with simple instinct and a burning need for the man she was intertwined with.<p>

She needed Sousuke… when her affections had grown to that point she couldn't place, maybe it was this very moment, but it was true. Feeling him inside her, feeling his hair between her fingers, feeling his hard muscled and scarred chest against hers was like a dream that she was afraid would disappear. He would disappear. She would wake up in the hospital… The nurses would repeat that he died on Merida Island. That would break her. So she clung to him, kissed him fiercely burning every moment into her brain.

Her body buzzed with adrenaline and endorphins, the pleasure of his movements and the unbelievable sense of belonging that filled her heart compelled her into motion and she lifted her hips from the bed to meet his throbbing member. She gasped as she felt him inside her, his heartbeat thundering through the thin barrier that separated them. His breathing had turned to ragged gasps as Kaname felt her whole body shudder and tingle.

"Sousuke…" She breathed deep as he plunged into her, filling her with each thrust and she rolled her hips to meet him, gasping for breath every time. She shut her eyes and tightened her grip on him trying to feel more of him. Her hips rolled against his and her nerves were abuzz from his ministrations.

Kaname whimpered as she reached up to his hair and pulled him down into a burning kiss. The feel of everything was overwhelming. He was part of her, holding her, and kissing her with all the passion and love he could muster. She couldn't help but whimper at the onslaught of his affection and gripped him tighter as she answered his passion with her own. As their lips separated, sweat ran down her body and coated her back as Sousuke kept up the pressure, cupped her rear and lifted it from the bed. She cried out in surprise at the new position and gasped at the sudden increase in intensity as he buried himself in her.

"Kaname…" He muttered as her grip around his neck tightened and they kissed again.

If she wasn't so flexible it would have hurt. Breathing hard through her nose she bit at his lip as he got rougher and she curled around him. As their lips separated she gasped and arched her back feeling the throbbing pleasure in her core intensify a thousand fold and her eyes fluttered. "Sousuke!"

A wave of pleasure washed over her emanating from her core, overriding all of her senses to the point she couldn't feel anything else. Her muscles seem to melt to a puddle of nothingness. Sousuke collapsed as his own orgasm overrode his body. She gasped as his body dropped atop hers and she felt his head lay upon her chest.

They laid there, exhausted both physically and emotionally and held each other. A content and comfortable silence passed between them and they relaxed in the other's presence.

Nothing she'd experienced had prepared her for the overwhelming feelings that had coursed through her body. Whispered and blushing confessions by those that had done the deed in the locker room had only hinted at the experience.

_Maybe it was different for them._ Kaname thought as she lay beneath Sousuke, her body still humming with her last climax. Slowly her hand ran through Sousuke's messy mop of hair and she sighed as a content smile slipped across her lips. Sousuke slowly stirred in her arms then relaxed.

_Good boy, don't move… don't do anything that can ruin the moment._ She thought then bit her lip irritated at her own thoughts. Sighing again she leaned toward him and kissed his chin next to the scar. "I love you."

"I love you too Kaname." Sousuke whispered back.

They laid in each other arms quietly holding each other. Kaname relaxed against him and shut her eyes. The world could take care of itself for the moment.

* * *

><p><strong>30 March 2000, 00:23 hrs<strong>

**Haneda Airport, Tokyo, Japan**

**Tarmac near the General Aviation Terminal**

Albus Doran stood beside Lydia as the huge cargo bay doors of the C-17 began to slide open. Around him other members of the Mithril defenders from Alaska stood up and looked out into the dark.

A light blazed on and he lifted a hand to block the beam, squinting against the sudden light. He caught sight of a woman standing atop the hood of a car, backlit from the light and there was a squeak from a megaphone.

Then a high pitch, almost childish voice echoed over the group. It was a voice he had only heard in reports and official briefing recordings, never in person.

"Former Mithril personnel, welcome to Haneda International. There are buses waiting for you if you follow the redheaded girl with the flare." A light cough came from the girl behind the megaphone. "Welcome to Japan... Let's get to work."

A cheer rang out from the mercenaries as the light dimmed and they caught sight of Teletha Tesstarossa standing before them.

* * *

><p>To Be Continued in… Sword and Shield: Volume #2: A Family Visit<p> 


	25. Volume 2 Preview

**Sword and Shield: Volume #2 Preview!**

* * *

><p><em>"The world thinks that the end of Amalgam and Mithril brought an end to the threat of Black Technology." A grizzled voice echoed in the briefing room in the Kremlin, cigar smoke filled the dimly lit room as the thick set man leaned back and took a long pull on his smoldering cigar.<em>

_Comrade General Stochkin, Premier of the Soviet Union, and the single hardest liner to hold the post since Stalin himself glanced back at the map, which filled the table. "Do you anticipate foreign protest that could actually do anything to our position?"_

_The Soviet Minister of Foreign Affairs shook his head. Slowly Stochkin glanced around the group and chuckled darkly. "We shall see what this new toys are capable of."_

* * *

><p><em>Sabine reached down and smiled when she found the operating manual hidden underneath the seat. Flipping it open, she skimmed the first instructions and froze, recognizing most of it.<em>

_Project 1059 - Testarossa-Zostoya 100(m)_

_She swallowed. It was an Amalgam design... Painted in soviet colors, with instruments in cryllic and... A smile slowly spread across her lips as she glanced back at the cockpit and whispered to herself, "A Lambda Driver."_

* * *

><p><em>"Shit, well… Do it!" Sousuke shut the cockpit hatch and dropped back into the seat before clutching the engraved rifle he'd ordered for his father. "Shinji, Kaname, Kyoko? Are you buckled in tight?"<em>

_Kaname glanced over at him as he began to buckle into the four point harness. The black kevlar helmet she wore looked almost like an oversized softball helmet atop her head. She looked down at the kevlar vest and swallowed._

_"I'm ready, what's going on Sagara?" Shinji yelled from his spot on the seat, clutching a professional camera in his hands._

_"Just hang on!" Sousuke said as he glanced back at Kaname. "Kaname? Are you ready?"_

_Her lips twitched into a smirk and then she tightened the belts and pushed back into the seat. "I'm fine Sousuke."_

_Sousuke let out a sigh and slammed back onto the seat before tightening his harness once again leaning back against the seat. "Not a problem." He muttered under his breath._

_"All right, passengers tighten your belts and strap yourselves in, we've got four soviets heading our way and we're not going to be their dinner today!" The pilot's voice called out and suddenly the fuselage banked forward. The helicopter dove, its rotors slicing through the air as it charged toward the ground._

_Kyoko shrieked and grabbed hold of Shinji. Kaname just glared at Sousuke. They could hear a barrage of warning alarms echoing from the cockpit as the ground rose up through the windows until they were just mere meters above the poppy fields and jagged rock of the mountaintops._

_"Sagara, what's going on?" Shinji shouted as the helicopter rocked._

_"The soviets have planes along our route." Sousuke said. "We are following the ground to avoid them."_

_"Soviet planes?" Kyoko said quietly._

_"Like usual." Kaname murmured before rolling her eyes._

_Then the helicopter jumped again. Farzen glanced over at the two of them. "Are you always like this?"_

_"Yes." Kaname said. "He is." Sousuke glanced at her and saw her gaze meet his. "But I wouldn't have him any other way."_

_Farzen snorted at the two of them and shook his head as another alarm began to blare._

* * *

><p><em>Christian Amanpour stared at the man dressed in the pressed blue suit. Her mouth hung open slightly. This was the CEO of GeoTron Electronics, the company that manufacture the United States Electronic Camouflage System, the M6 and XM9 Arm Slaves, and dozens of other cutting edge technologies.<em>

_"You have never heard of Psytechnic devices?" He smiled faintly. "Black Technology?"_

_She shook her head._

_"You know the inventor for the first muscle package attributed it to his daughter random musings upon a piece of paper? He produced a bit of lined paper covered in equations in the tiny, cramped hand of his four-year old daughter." He said with a smile._

_"I'd say he was a bit of a mad genius... no prodigy is that smart." Christian Amanpour said quietly._

_The CEO smiled. "Normally I would agree with you..." He leaned forward. "Mrs. Amanpour, I was that designer, and my eighteen year old daughter is the woman that designed the M9 Gernsback."_

_Amanpour's eyes were wide. "She?"_

_"Yes Christian... now, ask yourself what that eighteen year old Japanese girl could do that brought the Delta Force to her front door?"_

* * *

><p><em>"Pusk!" The leader called out as he pulled the trigger and the two 500 kg bombs tumbled from the Su-25 Frogfoot as it pulled up from the bombing run. The bombs spun as they fell mixing the binary agents contained within their shell, turning the harmless chemicals into a lethal nerve agent.<em>

_At twenty meters, the bombs exploded spraying an acid green cloud over the rooftops of Fayzabad. Behind him, the rest of the squadron moved to their targets, releasing the bombs. They could not see the people running in the streets as they sped over their targets, barely a hundred meters above the ground._

_Within minutes, a silent cloud of death descended on the Afghan City. The war in Afghanistan had just heated up._


End file.
